Ohio prison system fires 7 in death of Mcdaniel
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction fired seven employees on Friday for their involvement in the death of Michael Mcdaniel at Correctional Reception Center in Orient earlier this year.
Lt. Bruce Brown, nurse Jamie Dukes, and guards Heath Causey, Jerry Perkins, Joey Lemaster, Kristy Judd and Sarah Cline were dismissed.
In July, the state prisons department released footage that captured
Mcdaniel's initial fight with Judd and Cline inside a housing area on Feb. 6 as well as what happened when more prison staff escorted Mcdaniel through the yard to the medical clinic.
Although handcuffed and compliant, Mcdaniel was shoved to the floor, tackled into a snow bank, and pushed to the sidewalk. He collapsed to the ground another 10 times before getting inside the clinic where his medical exam lasted slightly more than a minute.
The Franklin County coroner determined the manner of death was homicide and ruled the cause of death was “stress induced sudden cardiac death,” according to an autopsy. The autopsy details blunt force injuries to his head, face, shoulders, wrists, hands, knees, feet, toes and abdomen. It also showed evidence of heart disease.
In early July, the Ohio Highway Patrol sent its criminal investigation report to Pickaway County Prosecutor Judy Wolford, who said this week that she has yet to review it.
Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.