OFFICERS

offenders — inmates who are 24 years old or younger — into the mop closet to intimidate them on March 27, 2017. Once inside, Butler, a sergeant, and Reynolds tried to talk to the three inmates about disrespecting female correctional officers.

“After [youthful offender 1] laughed and talked back, [Butler] slapped [him] in the face,” the statement says. “In response, [youthful offender 1] tried to punch [Butler] but missed, then attempted to tackle [Butler].”

Butler brought the inmate to the floor of the mop closet, then told Reynolds that “this fight was a ‘one-onone’ and ‘don’t jump in,’ ‘’ according to the statement.

A one-on-one is a fight between one correctional officer and one inmate, even if other officers are present and able to assist. Although one-on-ones violate state correctional facility rules, the practice was “commonplace” at the South Florida Reception Center and used to establish respect and resolve conflicts instead of sending inmates to confinement, according to federal prosecutors Robert Senior and Samantha Trepel.

But the fight with youthful offender 1 escalated beyond the one-on-one with Butler.

“After the altercation started in the mop closet, Reynolds took [youthful offender 2 and 3] out of the mop closet and then returned with a broomstick in hand,” according to the statement filed with Butler’s plea deal.

“The broomstick was physically used on [youthful offender 1] by Reynolds ... and the confrontation ended minutes later,” the statement says.

Prosecutors said medical photos taken about four days later showed large welts and bruises on the inmate’s lower extremities.

On March 28, 2017, youthful offender 3 was accused of spreading a rumor that Butler had been beaten up by youthful offender 1 in the mop closet. Youthful offender 3 was taken to solitary confinement in the “Echo” dormitory.

Butler and Reynolds agreed to visit youthful offender 3 in the Echo dorm, where he was already sitting handcuffed in the breezeway. Reynolds removed his handcuffs and told him to go to the “disciplinary review” room.

Once inside, Reynolds and youthful offender 3 engaged in a one-on-one, with the officer punching him in the stomach and forcing him to the floor, the statement says. Meanwhile, Butler asked the inmate why he was spreading false rumors about the mop closet fight. Butler then slapped and punched [him] a few times in the stomach.

After the two correctional officers finished with him, the inmate was placed in restraints on a bench in the Echo dorm breezeway.