Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for December 15, 2005 MAN FOUND DEAD IN CAIRO JAIL

Heard rumors of this story and checked my top sources for info...finding none. Then I thought...if it's bad news and involves Cairo...tune in to Channel 6. Sure enough...the lead story on their web site was...

Illinois: Man Found Dead In Holding Cell

Written By:Anna Prendergast

Demetrius Flowers was found dead hanging by shoe laces in holding cell early Wednesday morning at the Cairo Police Station.

Alexander County coroner, David Barkett told NewsChannel 6 he doesn't believe foul play was involved, but Flower's family doesn't believe it.

The family says police manhandled Flowers when he was arrested and charged with battery and obstructing a peace officer.

Flowers was then taken to the Cairo Police Station and put into a holding cell.

Barbara Harris, Flower's girlfriend says she went the station shortly after, Harris says when she got there she heard Flowers yelling for help.

Jails are required to ask questions to determine whether a suspect is suicidal. If they are, a suspect's belt and shoe laces are taken away.

That didn't happen in this case.

We don't know if the questions were asked or required because Cairo Police aren't talking.

Coroner David Burkett has asked Cairo Police for a copy of its booking procedure, and asked the FBI to investigate possible civil rights violations.

Demetrius Flower's family is holding a press conference in conjunction with a civil rights group called United Front Friday at one o'clock in Cairo.

UPDATE: From Friday's Southern Illinoisan...

Some consider Cairo prison death a case of murder

BY ANDREA HAHN
THE SOUTHERN

CAIRO - The FBI has reportedly been called in to investigate the death of Demetrius Flowers, the 38-year-old Cairo man who died in a Cairo Police Department holding cell Wednesday morning.

Alexander County Coroner David Barkett announced Thursday morning that he had contacted the FBI after Flowers' family members alleged Flowers' civil rights had been violated.

Barkett also released information about the preliminary results of Flowers' autopsy. He determined at 4:40 p.m. that Flowers died of "cerebral hypoxia due to ligature strangulation."

Flowers was found hanging by his shoestrings in his jail cell by an on-duty dispatcher at the Cairo Police Department at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday. Barkett pronounced him dead at 9:34 a.m. Barkett said he contacted the state police and state police crime scene services to secure the area and initiate an investigation. He noted that an inquest will be held when all test results are available.

The Cairo Police Department issued a statement Thursday confirming the information in Barkett's previous statements, adding that further information would be released as it was available.

According to the Alexander County State's Attorney's Office, Flowers had not been formally charged with any offenses on Wednesday morning.

Geneva Whitfield, longtime Cairo resident and an acquaintance of Flowers, said the community of Cairo, and in particular its black citizens, are skeptical about the ultimate cause of Flowers' death. Whitfield said some people are considering the death a murder.

"I've known that boy since he was just little," she said. "He may have got in some trouble, but there is no way that was a suicide. He wasn't afraid of jail or prison. He'd been to jail - that was nothing to him."

Local activist and candidate for county commissioner Duane "Street Preacher" Lyon said he is eager to see the results of the investigation. However, he cautioned the community to remain calm until the investigation was complete.

Cairo Mayor Paul Farris was not available for comment on Thursday. Cairo City Hall was apparently closed for the day Thursday.

The Cairo Police Department maintains a holding cell for detainees before they are transported to the Tri-County Justice and Detention Center.

UPDATE: From the WSIL TV Channel 3 Web Site...

Relatives blame police for Inmate's Death

BY Sun Min, News 3

CAIRO- Friday the parents of Demetrius Flowers lashed out at the Cairo police department. Their son died Wednesday while in police custody. Illinois State Police are investigating.

Demetrius Flowers was arrested early Wednesday morning at a home in Cairo for battery and obstructing a peace officer --he died hours later.

He was discovered in his cell by Cairo police dispatcher hanging from a light fixture above his bunk by his shoestrings - no other marks or injuries were found, said Alexander County Coroner David Barket. At this time there is no evidence of foul play.

The victim's relatives believe otherwise.

They murdered my son - my son didn't take his life - they murdered my son and it will all come out, said Flowers mother Deborah flowers.

Mrs. Flower and Arby Davis along with Demetrius Flower's fianc�e Barbara Harris, joined Chicago advocate Dr. Charles Coen of the United Front during a press conference. How he was found dead we have no other reason but to suspect murder, said Coen.

They say they'll file a lawsuit alleging civil rights violations.

When we tried to speak with Cairo police, they had no comment.

Cairo Mayor Paul Farris didn't return our calls. City Attorney Michael O'Shea hung up when first contact by News 3 and no one answered the door when News 3 stopped by his office.

Barkett speaking on behalf of law enforcement said I can understand and I sympathize with family's grief at this time - I can promise them that and independent investigation are going on.

The flowers' family also asked that the two arresting officers be suspended pending the investigation.

Cairo police had no comment about this request.

UPDATE: From Sunday's Paducah Sun...

Coroner disputes claim after Cairo man's death

By Shelley Byrne

CAIRO, Ill. - Alexander County Coroner David Barkett denies ever meeting or speaking to Barbara Harris, the live-in girlfriend of a man found dead in a holding cell Wednesday morning at the Cairo Police Department.

"I've told the FBI I'm willing to take a polygraph (to that effect)," he said.

Cairo police have said that the body of Demetrius Flowers, 38, of Cairo, was found at 9:15 that morning by a dispatcher. Harris, the mother of Flowers' five children, had said previously that Barkett was at her door more than two hours earlier, and told her that Flowers had gotten into an altercation with police and had hanged himself.

Flowers' family claims that he didn't hang himself but was killed. Police say Flowers hanged himself by his shoelaces from a light fixture. Flowers was arrested at 4:04 a.m. Wednesday on charges of battery and obstructing a police officer.

Preliminary autopsy results showed Flowers died of lack of oxygen to his brain due to strangulation. Barkett said the body showed no sign of any other violence. Final autopsy results are expected in four to six weeks, he said.

"We are not hiding anything," Barkett said. "We have never tried to hide anything."

Charles Koen, founder of United Front, a civil rights group supporting the family, has said the organization is having an independent autopsy conducted.

Barkett said he requested copies of all Cairo Police Department policies and procedures Friday, but has not received them. He has received a copy of the police logbook from that night.

Barkett has also requested copies of state police interviews of the two dispatchers and all the officers on duty from the time that Flowers was arrested until his body was found, he said. He has received some of those, but others haven't been typed up yet, he said.

The information could be used as evidence in the coroner's inquest.

UPDATE: From Tuesday's Paducah Sun...

BARKLEY THIELEMAN/The Sun Taking action: Cairo Mayor Paul Farris cited possible civil unrest for suspending the five police officers.

Suspensions in Cairo

Mayor orders five officers off the job without pay while investigation into jail death continues

By Shelley Byrne
Tuesday, December 20, 2005

CAIRO, Ill. - Mayor Paul Farris says there is no credible evidence that police officers either accidentally or intentionally killed Demetrius Flowers in a Cairo Police Department holding cell Wednesday, but, citing civil unrest, he suspended three officers and two dispatchers on duty that morning anyway pending the results of an internal investigation.

"Even though all facts and circumstances attending the death of the deceased are not yet known, it is nevertheless manifestly evident that unwarranted suspicion and doubt - of the integrity, honor and fundamental fairness of this administration and of the Cairo Police Department - abounds and poses a serious threat of civil unrest to the citizens of our city," he said as part of an administrative order filed Monday afternoon in the city clerk's office.

The order suspends without pay officers Gary L. Hankins, Timothy R. Brown and Terry R. Crowe and dispatchers Don A. Beggs and Legina D. Meyer until 10 a.m. Jan. 31 or the conclusion of an investigation, whichever comes first.

A police surveillance tape of the holding cell from before the time of Flowers' arrest on charges of battery and obstructing a police officer to after his death has been reviewed by outside investigators and shows no foul play occurred, Farris said. He said the city has requested a copy of the tape, but that it would not be released to the public because of laws requiring prisoners' faces not to be shown.

Police have said that Flowers, 38, of Cairo hanged himself by a light fixture using his shoelaces.

Farris says in the administrative order, "The deceased, for reasons known only to himself, voluntarily and independently embarked upon and carried out a course of events which led to his own demise."

He also insisted that Flowers gave no sign to anyone that he was considering committing suicide or harming himself in any way.

Farris refused to say how those suspended are involved in the case other than to say they were on duty during the period between Flowers' arrest at 4:04 a.m. and the discovery of his body at 9:15 a.m. Flowers had also been interviewed by police earlier that morning when officers responded to a report of a domestic disturbance, Farris said. It was not immediately clear if surveillance footage of his interaction with officers then was available to investigators.

Flowers' family members have said they believe police killed Flowers because of racism. They asked for Hankins' and Crowe's suspension on Friday and identified them as Flowers' arresting officers. Farris said the family's request had nothing to do with the suspensions.

A woman who answered the phone at the home of Arby Davis, Flowers' father, said the family had no comment because they were still grieving his loss. She did not identify herself.

Farris says in the administrative order that he still reserves the right to dismiss any employees found to have not fulfilled their duties. He "remains fully confident that the city of Cairo as well as its police department officers and dispatchers will ultimately be fully exonerated," but he admits that one or more rules in the police department policy manual were broken.

A copy of the page of the manual titled "Holding Facility Detainee Processing" states, "All prisoners must be searched and all property listed below must be taken from each prisoner prior to the prisoner being placed in a cell."

Property listed includes all items carried by the prisoner, all jewelry, belts, all outdoor wear, shoes and/or laces, purses and all items inside, clothing draw strings and eye glasses.

Searching prisoners is the responsibility of any officer who transports a prisoner, but it should never be assumed by any officer that someone else has searched a prisoner, according to the procedures. Prisoners should also be searched each time they come into a custodial officer's custody, according to policy.

Prisoners are also to be watched closely, Farris said.

Dispatchers, who also serve as jailers until prisoners are moved to the Tri County Detention Center in Ullin within 48 hours, have monitors that show holding cells in front of them as they work, Farris said.

"They are to monitor with electronic equipment and also to make periodic physical checks to determine the prisoner's needs," he said.

Farris said dispatchers are required to make the physical checks every 30 to 45 minutes and to record them in a log. Alexander County Coroner David Barkett has said he requested and received a copy of the department's log book from that morning to use as possible evidence in an inquest.

The suspensions mean the Cairo Police Department has lost the use of about half its force, Farris said.

"We will be reaching out to other law enforcement agencies to assist," he said.

UPDATE: From Wednesday's Southeast Missourian...

Joseph Thurston said he agrees with the mayor's decision, but said he believes police should be paid until details emerge.

JULIA METELSKI ~ Southeast Missourian

CAIRO, Ill. -- City Councilman Joseph Thurston said Tuesday that he stands by Mayor Paul Farris' decision to suspend five police officers who were working the morning jail inmate Demetrius Flowers was found dead.

Flowers was arrested by the Cairo Police Department at 4:04 a.m. Dec. 14 for battery and obstructing a police officer. He was pronounced dead in his jail cell at 9:34 a.m. that morning by Alexander County Coroner David Barkett. Ferris suspended three police officers and two dispatchers on Monday pending a city investigation into their actions on the morning Flowers died of hanging while in a holding cell.

Thurston said he has learned about the investigation from media reports and word of mouth. He said it is at least customary for the mayor to brief the six council members on his actions. Farris did not call a council meeting to discuss suspending the officers, Thurston said.

But he said his lack of first-hand information about the circumstances surrounding the suspension is "probably my fault because I haven't called anybody to meddle into it."

Thurston disagrees with Farris' decision to withhold the officers' pay. "To me, suspended without pay means that you are guilty of something before the investigation is even over," Thurston said.

Flowers was found hanging by his shoe strings. Preliminary autopsy reports concluded that he died of strangulation. Toxicology and other reports have not come back, according to the coroner's office.

Farris wrote in an administrative order that he found "absolutely no credible evidence" that the hanging "was the product of conspiracy, of any intentional or deliberate act of police misconduct."

Farris suspended the officers without pay until Jan. 31.

Flowers' aunt, Mareva Parnell, called the suspension "a step in the right direction." Flowers' family, she said, has suspected foul play ever since authorities didn't contact family members until three hours after the death and didn't let them identify the body. They also suspect that booking procedures were not followed, Parnell said.

Farris wrote that he is confident that the city and police department will be "fully exonerated." In the same sentence, he wrote that "one or more of the established rules and regulations" of the department's policy manual were "substantially breached."

Farris told the Southern Illinoisan that shoelaces are on the list of items that custodial officers are required to remove before placing a detainee in a holding cell. The Southern Illinoisan also reported that that it is policy for on-duty dispatchers, who also act as jailers, to check a detainee every 30 minutes and to keep a log of such visits. City attorney Michael O'Shea told the Southern Illinoisan it is possible that the log in this case did not reflect actual visits to Flowers' jail cell but rather to video surveillance checks.

Farris told the newspaper security cameras in the jail do not show every section of the cell. He said he has not seen the surveillance video yet to know whether or not Flowers' alleged suicide is shown on the video. The original is in custody of a law enforcement agency, Farris told the Southern Illinoisan.

Phone messages left for Farris Monday and Tuesday were not returned and he was unavailable on a Tuesday visit from a Southeast Missourian reporter. Police chief John Bosecker refused an interview at his office on Tuesday.

Parnell, Flowers' aunt, said the family is just trying to make it through the funeral.

The funeral will be at noon Friday at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Cairo, with the visitation from 10 a.m. until noon.

UPDATE: From the January 12th Southeast Missourian...

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