Two New York state corrections officers are accused of participating in a “George Floyd Challenge” that left an inmate severely injured, Democrat and Chronicle reports.
In a lawsuit filed by James Barton, an incarcerated man at the Mid-State Correctional Facility, Barton alleges he was choked in April 2023 by correction officers Michael Williams and Rohail Khan, who pleaded guilty to assault charges in federal court.
The civil litigation alleges Barton was beaten shortly after midnight after hearing an officer say, “Let’s give him the George Floyd challenge.”
tom-banner ampforwp-incontent-ad1">He was then placed in a chokehold while others beat and kicked him.
Floyd was murdered in May 2020 by a white police officer after being pinned down on the neck by the officer’s knee for nine minutes. His killing sparked national attention and sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, resulting in floods of protests amid allegations of police brutality against Black people.
Barton’s lawyer, Andrew Plasse, said the incident was unprovoked. His client was woken up and taken to a hallway outside his unit.
“Hold your ID with your right pinky against the wall and if the ID falls, you’re dead,” one officer allegedly said.
According to Law & Crime, Barton, who has been behind bars since 2008 for the sexual assault of a child, is seeking $10 million in damages and said one of the officers accused him of rape of a woman.
“Do you think you was going to get away with raping a white woman?” one of the officers allegedly told him, according to the documents. “Since you want to play games I got one for you.”
The officers then allegedly assaulted him by punching him in his head, face, eyes, chest, stomach, legs, rear end, and groin for 10 minutes. At the time, officers agreed to lie if they were questioned by internal affairs investigators.
After an investigation by the state’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), the findings were sent to the labor relations division and for criminal prosecution. The department also assisted in helping federal prosecutors build the case.
“Discipline has been initiated with some staff terminated already and two people have been convicted of federal crimes so far,” DOCCS officials said in a statement.
New York’s prison system has been riddled with similar allegations for months. Notably, in December 2023, Robert Brooks was beaten and killed by corrections officers while incarcerated at Marcy Correctional Facility, which is about a mile away from Mid-State in Oneida County. The incident was captured by the body cameras worn by the accused officers.
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