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Ex-jail guards arrested in inmate abuse

They allegedly k ick ed one man in the groin and battered another.

By JONATHAN ABEL
Published November 1, 2006

BROOKSVILLE - Victor Mammano, a slight, 41-year-old inmate at the Hernando jail, was taken out of the shower and put against the wall, his legs spread.

"It's time for football," said Chris Pursell, a 250-pound jail guard.

Then Nick Ferrio, a muscular 280-pound guard, kicked Mammano in the groin.

Minutes later, after Mammano had a chance to dress, the game of "football" was replayed, this time with Pursell delivering the painful kick.

That's what the Hernando Sheriff's Office alleges in the arrest affidavits for both men.

Pursell and Ferrio, who were fired from the jail in September, were arrested and charged Tuesday with two counts of misdemeanor battery - one against Mammano and another against inmate Brent Fiddler.

Both of the batteries supposedly took place on the night of Sept. 6.

But Pursell, 34, and Ferrio, 40, have adamantly denied that they abused either man. They said Mammano came into the jail pretending that his legs didn't work and that he didn't know where he was. Fiddler, they said, was combative from the get-go.

The guards insisted that they were singled out because they were the only ones who gave their names to the inmates when the inmates asked.

Pursell and Ferrio were released on $1,000 bail.

Prosecutor Bill Gladson said the Sheriff's Office submitted cases against three guards, but he decided to prosecute only two of them.

"It was a very lengthy, thorough investigation," he said. "So it took some time."

According to the sheriff's report, Mammano went through a series of indignities and attacks as he was being processed into the jail that night. He had been arrested on domestic assault charges.

Pursell picked up Mammano and slammed him on the floor. Later, he crushed Mammano's hands while scanning his fingerprints and stomped on Mammano's foot with his boot. Then there was the "football" incident.

Until he was fired, Ferrio prided himself on being a guard whom inmates and employees treated with respect. When prisoners threatened to kill him, he said, he would draw a map to his house and dare them to try. On the side, he breeds dogs and snakes.

The arrest affidavit said Ferrio whipped two bars of soap at Mammano, slapped him on the face to get him to answer questions and kicked him in the groin.

Ferrio said he just tossed the soap to Mammano and that he never kicked the inmate in the groin. When it looked like Mammano was going to spit on Pursell, Ferrio put his knee on Mammano's backside to push him against the wall.

The Sheriff's Office affidavit, written by Detective Phillip Lakin, says Ferrio confessed to the abuse.

Ferrio said that's not true.

Both men are also accused of roughing up inmate Fiddler in a holding cell.

The complaint says Ferrio held Fiddler down while Pursell elbowed and kicked him. Then Ferrio allegedly poured a gallon of delousing solution over Fiddler's head. It is supposed to be applied with a spray bottle.

Jail warden Don Stewart wasn't surprised by the arrests - the fourth and fifth Hernando jail guards to be arrested this year.

"I was suspicious that there might have been a criminal event," he said. "That's why we made the criminal referral."

Ferrio said he didn't abuse the inmates, but if he did abuse them, then the other workers at the jail are just as guilty for not doing anything to stop him.

A conviction on these charges could jeopardize the certifications of both men.

Pursell was unavailable for comment.

Ferrio said he wasn't worried: "I'm done with all types of law enforcement. I was planning on retiring in March."

Jonathan Abel can be reached at 352 754-6114 or jabel@sptimes.com.

[Last modified October 31, 2006, 22:17:55]