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Star Witness: Guard Captain Shocked Inmate

Former Guard Says Valdes Offered No Resistance

POSTED: 2:42 pm EST January 29, 2002
UPDATED: 11:35 am EST January 30, 2002

A former Florida State Prison guard testified Tuesday that his captain used an electronic device to shock the forehead of a condemned inmate whom guards are accused of stomping to death.

Raymond HansonRaymon Hanson (pictured, left), testifying in the trial of four guards charged with Frank Valdes' murder, said the device Capt. Timothy Thornton used left no marks.

He didn't say what Valdes did when he was shocked, but said the inmate offered no resistance throughout the July 17, 1999, brawl.

Hanson was more subdued than he was two years ago when he gave a sobbing videotaped statement about what happened when guards allegedly attacked the inmate as they removed him from his X-wing cell.

During that statement he testified that guards had punched and kicked Valdes and then later lied about their actions in their use-of-force reports.

But in Tuesday's testimony, Hanson said he could not see much when officers rushed into Valdes' cell.

Hanson admitted kicking Valdes in the buttocks and said Sgt. Charles Brown had given Valdes "a very violent kick in the midsection, four times that I saw."

Hanson, who has been given immunity from prosecution, said he didn't do anything to stop the violent cell extraction.

Guards on trial"I didn't want to be labeled an inmate lover," he said.

Thornton, 36; Brown 28; Sgt. Jason Griffis, 28; and Sgt. Andrew Lewis, 31, are charged with second-degree murder for the death of Valdes, 36. An autopsy showed Valdes suffered 22 broken ribs and a broken jaw, sternum, collarbone, shoulder, spine and nose.

Prosecutors say Valdes, sentenced to death for murdering a Palm Beach County prison guard, was beaten because he was planning to give the media evidence that the guards were mistreating inmates.

Frank ValdezThe guards say Valdes (pictured, left) might have hurt himself by flinging himself off his bars onto the concrete floor, or he might have been killed by four other guards set to stand trial later this year.

Hanson's testimony contradicted that of inmate Steven Porkolab, who testified Tuesday that he had cleaned up puddles of blood after Valdes was rolled to the clinic on a garbage cart after the cell extraction.

Hanson said Valdes had a bloody nose and some bruises, but said there was little blood. He did not believe Valdes had any life-threatening injuries.

Video
"I was in shock and disbelief," he said, when he learned of Valdes' death.

Defense attorney Ted Curtis projected an autopsy picture of Valdes' battered face and asked Hanson if that was the way Valdes looked when he was taken to the clinic after the cell extraction.

"No," replied the witness.

Hanson said the members of the cell extraction team got together to work on their reports, crafting it to fit the bruises and marks on Valdes' body and "to cover up the excessive use of force."

"This was my third catch and these guys had done it before, so I thought I would go along with them."

Prosecutors did not question Hanson about statements made by some of the other guards prior to the cell extraction.

In his videotaped statement, Hanson had said, "We (were) going down there to teach him that he can't be threatening officers. Some physical punishment was going to have to be inflicted upon him."

"If (the jury) finds Ray Hanson credible, I think that will go a long way towards helping our case," assistant state attorney Greg McMahon said.

Hanson will face more cross-examination Wednesday by two other defense attorneys.


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