A prison warder stands guard in a corridor of Gradignan prison, near Bordeaux, southwestern France, on October 3, 2022. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP) (Photo by THIBAUD MORITZ/AFP via Getty Images)
A Black man was “mercilessly” beaten in his cell by officers at the Camden County Detention Center, with the entire assault caught on video. Now, his attorney is now calling for a criminal investigation of the officers involved.
Court documents say while 41-year-old Jarrett Hobbs was in custody, “jailers heard a large banging from Defendant’s holding cell. Defendant was reportedly kicking his cell door and was told by jailers to stop after already being warned to stop previously,” according to the Associated Press.
An officer involved “testified that Defendant apparently continued this kicking, resulting in the jailers approaching him, giving him verbal commands and putting his hands behind his back.
However, Hobbs allegedly did not comply and responded to the jailers saying “I ain’t doing s—t.”
After the jailers reportedly continued to give him orders and approached him, Hobbs tensed up, pulled away, and a physical altercation between Hobbs and jailers ensued,” according to court documents.
CCTV footage, released by Hobbs’ lawyer on Monday, showed as officers assaulted Hobbs – video that civil rights attorney Harry Daniels says “is undeniable and the deputies’ actions are inexcusable.”
Video shows Hobbs being pushed against a wall by guards and repeatedly punched in the head and neck after five deputies come into the man’s cell. The entire assault lasted about a minute.
Daniels said authorities should pursue criminal charges against the sheriff’s deputies in Camden County who swarmed Hobbs – a Black man, after he was booked for traffic violations and drug possession charges September 3.
“It’s undeniable that Mr. Hobbs was approached by jailers and he was assaulted, punched multiple times in the back of his head, kneed in his head and dragged out of his cell,” Daniels said. “This is a brutal beating, a brutal attack.”
On Monday, Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor’s office released a statement claiming the sheriff had reviewed the video and ordered an internal investigation “to begin immediately.”
However, the sheriff’s office didn’t release any details regarding the jailers involved in the assault, including the officers’ races. Daniels has since questioned why no action had been taken sooner on the matter, with the incident having taken place over two months ago.
Hobbs was charged with fighting the deputies that same day of the altercation, however the video in question doesn’t clearly show him fighting back.
Daniels went on to say that Hobbs would have been in the right had he chose to fight back against the guards as they unlawfully attacked him.
One guard who broke his hand during the altercation injured himself by punching a wall as he swung at Hobbs, according to his attorney.
Court records show a federal judge in North Carolina revoked Hobbs’ probation on November 7, after learning he had violated the terms of his supervised release in Georgia.
The court did eventually dismiss violations connected to the fight with jail officers, but did not give a reason why.
Daniels added he obtained the damning video after it was submitted as evidence in Hobbs’ federal probation case.
His attorney told the outlet that while the physical wounds have healed, he is still struggling mentally after believing “he was going to die.”
“The physical wounds have healed the best they can,” Daniels said. “But mentally, no. He thought he was going to die.”
Captain Larry Bruce, spokesman for the sheriff, declined to answer any questions, including whether or not the guards involved remained on-duty.
As of Tuesday, Hobbs remains incarcerated in North Carolina on charges of speeding, driving on a revoked or suspended license and possession of a controlled substance, as well as assault after the physical altercation with jailers.
