|
|
| Slain CO's family plans lawsuit |
| By Whittier Daily News |
| Published: 02/14/2005 |
|
The family of a Whittier correctional officer killed at the California Institution for Men plans to sue the Department of Corrections over his death, a family attorney said last Tuesday. A number of factors surrounding the Jan. 10 death of Officer Manuel Gonzalez have led the family to this point, said attorney Mark Peacock. "What happened is just so outrageous that I think that the family is going to have a number of options available to them, not only in terms of compensating them for their loss, but also to ensure and effectuate change throughout the system,' Peacock said. Authorities suspect Jon Christopher Blaylock of stabbing Gonzalez, a 16-year veteran of the Department of Corrections, while in the prison's reception center, a facility where inmates are held for processing before they are sent to another prison to serve out their sentences. At the time, Gonzalez had not been issued a protective stab- proof vest, even though the prison had hundreds of the vests in storage awaiting distribution. "You just scratch your head and say, 'What are they doing?'' Peacock said. "Especially in light of the fact that this guy should have been moved days before this even occurred.' Although inmates are typically held in reception for about 45 days before they are sent elsewhere, Blaylock had been in processing for six months at the time of the killing, even though he should have been assigned to a maximum-security facility. Peacock said the family is hopeful they also can bring about a policy change at the Department of Corrections so that all officers will be given protective vests and other equipment. Corrections spokeswoman Margot Bach said the department's goal is for every prison staff member to have a vest, but that has been hampered by a lack of sufficient funding and procedural issues regarding how they will be distributed. Besides considering a lawsuit, the family also is seeking to have the workers compensation death benefits increased because of "serious and willful misconduct' that led to Gonzalez's death, Ferrone said. |
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think