Withheld from the Jury

Chow Hall riot photos (they are hard to see, but the best we could get)chowhallphotos

     A riot along racial lines broke out in the chow hall immediately after Tyrone was defeated. While it has not be proven, it’s likely this riot was in response to the incidents in the B-2 Unit. Based on what Derrick said, “It wasn’t me. I didn’t do it,” there is a strong basis to suspect that Tyrone was set up for his part in the whole debacle by instigators who wanted an excuse for the riot, or at least to create as much havoc within the walls of Pollock USP as they could.

     There are several references within the transcripts that Tyrone was an extremely violent person easily have been used by individuals who found it easy to control him. They knew from his record that he was a loose cannon – all it took was someone to light the fuse. Tyrone was pre-disposed to this. On the bus to Pollock he was overheard saying that he was going to get himself a “cracker – he had done it before and it was going to do it again.” Tyrone had stabbed a correctional officer at his previous facility. This comment was brought up in a sidebar conversation with the judge, and this witness was not permitted to tesify at the trial.

     Tyrone had only been there for 17 days, not long enough to make either friends or enemies, but came in with his typical hostile predisposition. [See Tyrone’s Rap Sheet] Who else but his “friends” could have set him up with some emotional pretext of Derrick doing or saying something ill about him?

     Remember that when word first got to the chow hall about the fight and the stabbings, Tyrone was still alive. So it was probably not his death that was reported. Stabbings are far too common in prison to result in riots. Yet this one did.

     Not a single word regarding this riot was allowed into testimony in Eddie’s trial. We have since obtained officer statements from internal BOP memos regarding that day. Although the prosecution wanted the jury to believe these were separate incidents, they began as Sparks nad Johnson were placed on gurneys..   Lt. Garrow did a report on both incidents that morning. This report was not allowed in except as a “proffer,” a sealed document to be included in the court papers but used only if the issue of the riot were found to be relevant. We do not have a copy of that report to offer you. [Transcript Page 23: 17-20]

See the related article, COMPLICITY OF THE BUREAU OF PRISONS? for more discussion of the chow hall riot.

OFFICER STATEMENTS FROM INTERNAL BOP MEMOS

Per Officer James McCullough:

“…I reported to the dining facility to clear the remaining inmates out from the breakfast meal. At that time, I heard a lot of noise and saw a table flip in the dining hall….I observed several black inmates kicking and punching white inmates…I started clearing inmates off the wall and directing them to the outer door…a large group on inmates pushed through the door and into the corridor before I could secure it…several inmates rushed me because they knew I had the key to let them out…someone attempted to pull my keys off my belt…

Per Lieutenant Craig Lee:

“… As the ambulances were approaching, I heard a radio call for assistance in Food Service.  I responded from the rear gate and assisted in securing a white inmate in the East Corridor who was refusing to submit to restraints. I then proceeded to B-Yard where several white inmates were on one side of the yard and several black inmates were on the other. Both groups were refusing to enter their housing units…At this time, there was a commotion on C-Yard and I observed a large group of inmates depart Food Service. I heard staff calling on the radio for assistance on C-Yard. I directed the 8-Tower Officer to discharge his Less Than Lethal Munitions onto C-Yard…several black inmates were vocal about problems with white inmates and refused to enter their housing units…vocal and encouraged other inmates to remain defiant and making comments about not racking in until they knew the status of inmate Johnson…

How did anyone know it was Inmate Johnson? He was still on the gurney.

Per Stephen Cope/Special Investigative Technician:

“…staff arrived and I secured the crime area until the FBI arrived…as I made my way across C-Yard, I heard a call for assistance in the Dining Facility. When I arrived in the Dining Facility, I observed numerous black and white inmates fighting…I then heard an additional call for more staff on B-Yard…when I arrived at B-Yard, there was a group of white inmates…refusing to enter their housing units…another call for assistance was made on C-Yard and I turned and noticed a large group of black inmates coming out of the Dining Facility entrance…I responded to the dining facility and observed a large disturbance between black and white inmates…when I arrived at B-2 Unit, staff and inmates had gone through and were going through the crime scene area at the B-2 entrance and was no longer secured. I was told this was due to the large scale disturbance and they had to secure the inmates as soon as possible to avoid further incidents…due to the numerous incidents and institutional emergency, a crime scene log was not done…”

Per Lieutenant J. Lemoine:

“…Lt. Pinmentel advised me to prepare of the emergency escort via ambulance.  While at the rear gate assisting paramedics with placing the inmates in the ambulance, I hear another call for assistance in the dining hall…”

     To what degree is the Bureau of Prisons responsible for the incidents of April 20, 2007? How did their actions and inactions contribute to the deadly events that day? Here are some other issues they failed miserably on:

Watch the video and look for these particular images:

On the PTZ Angle Moving Camera:

6:44:39 The guards shut the door, leaving Branch and Johnson on their own, no way out

COMPARE  TO B-2 INNER SP CAMERA

6:44:41 Seven guards behind that door that just closed

6:44:50 Ten guards standing just a few feet  away from this incident, watching through the

closed door

THINGS NOBODY WANTS TO ASK ABOUT

Why was Tyrone Johnson in general population? An internal memo from the BOP states that he

Had a CIM Assignment of Separation and Security Custody levels of High/MAX due to history

Armed bank robbery AND Assault with Intent to Kill and Possession of a Weapon?

Why did it take so long to transport these inmates to Rapides Regional? A hospital listed as

14.33 miles away, 23 minutes (and that is not by speeding ambulance)…the hospital did

an excellent job of trying to save both inmates…but one can’t help but wonder if Derrick would

have had a different outcome if he had arrived sooner? His injuries included a hemothorax,

a punctured lung with blood in it…could he have lived if this had been stabilized with

a chest tube? The ER did do a chest xray and did see this, but Derrick basically had no

vital signs upon arrival, and was not stable for any additional procedures. ERs treat

collapsed lungs all the time….if only Derrick had gotten there sooner…

Why doesn’t anyone get outraged over the fact that the three witnesses who testified for the

Government were not in proximity to hear the incident or were not even incarcerated at USP

Pollock at the time? Yet, one is a convicted sexual predator in the state of Florida, all were

sequestered together prior to testimony, and ALL received significant sentence reductions.

Who will step up when a child or innocent victim is assaulted by someone in this trio,

considering they will be out in the public much sooner than their original release dates?

Why doesn’t anybody care that Tyrone had to run quite a distance to get to Branch and finish his

attack?…Eddie wasn’t celebrating, he wasn’t happy to be in this position, he didn’t approach

Tyrone..yet the prosecution would have the public believe Eddie is a malicious animal.  The

only malicious animal that day was Tyrone, and he destroyed many lives for NO reason.