Family Seeks Justice After Corrections Officers Break Inmate’s Neck, Starve Him to Death

A Florida inmate’s family is planning to issue a federal lawsuit after an investigation revealed he was starved after having his neck broken by corrections officers and left paralyzed for five days.

According to a report by the Miami Herald, Craig Ridley pleaded for help as prison officers brought food trays he was unable to reach.

But, reportedly, none of the prison staff, including the nurses, believed him when he stated he was unable to walk.

“My neck is broke. I’m paralyzed,” said Ridley from a wheelchair in footage shared with the Miami Herald.

A corrections officer replied, “You’re (expletive). You’re just trying to get a lawsuit.”

Just hours before, officers reportedly tackled Ridley to the ground, dislocating his neck. Ridley’s daughter, Jatoon Moss, hopes to seek justice by holding those accountable for their actions. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement stated that Ridley died because of injuries and starvation.

The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. The 383-page investigation also claimed his death may have been a cover-up, from views shared by family members and fellow inmates.

In 2007, Ridley was sentenced to a 20-year mandatory minimum on charges of attempted murder. The struggle between Ridley and the correction officers occurred on the morning of September 8, 2017. Following the altercation, Ridley was brought a wheelchair after informing the officers he couldn’t walk, according to video footage. Ridley, who was then taken to solitary confinement, ended up falling over and breaking his nose after officers reportedly propped him up on the cell’s toilet.

The detailed incident is just one of the many claims referenced involving Ridley’s encounter at the Florida prison.

“They think they’re above the system, and they can make this go away,” Moss said of the state prison system.

“But they’re wrong. It’s not just my father,” Moss said to the Miami Herald. “We have to get as much light as we can on this issue, especially for the Black community.”

So far, no charges against the correctional officers involved have been brought forth at this time.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, roughly 450 incarcerated individuals die in Florida state prisons per year.