Boot Camp Death -- Caught on Tape

[Mrs Behavin]

Everywhere you look there are cameras — from street corner surveillance to camcorders to cell phones. Many of these cameras are used to solve crimes, and when it comes to all the crimes caught on tape in 2006, the story of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson stands out. In Anderson's case, a camera actually changed the course of justice, and gave voice to a victim who could no longer speak.
You may have seen the 30-minute silent surveillance tape that captured the last conscious moments of Martin's life, surrounded by multiple sheriff's guards and a nurse at the Panama City, Fla., juvenile boot camp where he had been sent after violating probation on charges that he took his grandmother's car for a joy ride.
It's a day juvenile boot camp supervisor Charles Helms had not spoken about in public until his interview with "20/20." And he probably wouldn't be talking at all if it weren't for the grainy videotape that led to manslaughter charges for Helms, his staff, and the nurse who was there when Anderson died.

ABC News: Boot Camp Death -- Caught on Tape

 

[Maulds]

That sucks. At least that tape brought out the truth.

 

[White2000GT]

What sucks about it, other than the kid dying, is that one of the things Florida uses to try to steer kids away from a life of crime is now under fire.
The first autopsy said he died of natural causes brought on by complications from Sickle Cell Anemia. I wonder if it was even reported to them that the kid had that? Then the second autopsy conveniently changes the wording to suffocation. But they said it right there in the video that Sickle Cell causes the reb blood cells to not be able to absorb oxygen at a steady rate. Not absorbing oxygen.... suffocation.... think there might be a link?
I hate to say it, but it already looks like it's gonna turn into a race issue. Black kid... white cops.... white nurse. It's gonna be a mess.

 

[Sneakiecat]

It already is a mess here. Like the article says, they've closed the boot camps. There's a reason these kids are in trouble and, for some of them, it may be a last resort before jail. I wonder where they sent the kids after they closed the camps. I think it's awful that the kid died but I believe it was an accident. Things can happen fast and, like what happened here, it might be too late when the people involved notice a problem.

 

[GuesSAngel]

i would think that it was an accident.

 

[Dodge_Sniper]

But about those ammonia tablets, it says they were banned in Florida, and ammonia is a very deadly chemical.

 

[Sneakiecat]

They were banned after this happen. Ammonia can be very deadly but ammonium carbonate (smelling salts) is used after a person fainted. I assume this is what they were using.

 

[SilentEyz]

I remember reading about this when it all first happened.

Question ? Why did no one know about the Sickle Cell??

In doing some reading up on this, I found three other stories about kids who died while in boot camps, One is to many, but incidents do happen.

I can not disagree that boot camps are a good idea in Theory, but I find in most the reading I have done on them, The biggest problem is, The guards and other people involved with these services tend to forget that above all they are still dealing with children. and that can make them forget that although they are convicted of some kind of crime, they are still more vulnerable and more weak then were they dealing with adults. Many times the staff are not properly trained to deal with children and teens so they are not aware of or uderstanding of the weaknesses that come with children. Yes the point is to turn them into responsible Adults, but that does not mean they can withstand the same kind of cruelty and physical punishment that an adult could withstand. and rather then them seeing that there could be a possible real problem, they tend to assume that it is the child being weak or lazy or beligerant. The difficulty is that sometimes it is just that, But

I think they need to remember that not all kids in Boot Camp or the same physically and Mentally, and if a kid makes a complaint that could be considered a sign of Unhealth, Until they have had some on and off contact with that kid they should assume it to be real, until they establish its not... ( does that make sense)

I also have a problem with the Ammonia Caplets, Most the time the instructions are pretty explicit about using only one to regain consiousnece(sp). They Used 5.. umm can you say stupid in itself ..

I have not seen the entire video, only bits of it, but in one CNN report It claims

"The security video shows as many as nine guards kneeing, hitting and dragging Anderson around the exercise yard. The sheriff's office has said the guards were trying to get Anderson to participate after he became uncooperative."

Hitting and Dragging?? at some point, Had the nurse had any training, she herself should have been able to tell by the limpness in his body while being kicked and punched (parts of the video I did see) that this was not a kid faking to avoid having to run. If your being attacked in that manner, your going respond by trying to defend yourself from the blows, There was no defense, The kid was only standing because they were pretty much bracing him up.

"as many as nine guards can be seen restraining Anderson. Guards kneed him and wrestled him to the ground, where he was repeatedly struck by one guard, either on his arm or the side of his torso, while he lay still. He was limp throughout most of it and never appeared to offer significant resistance. "

The Guards have had Months to replay the incident in their minds, To make it justifiable to themselves, and thats understandable, I am sure no one meant for this kid to die..

"The county sheriff's office, which runs the camp, said Anderson was restrained after he became uncooperative. But the camp also admitted that mistakes were made, CBS News correspondent Jim Acosta reports."

But at some point they Know they screwed up, it was beyond typical procedure as now is being claimed.


Boot Camps are a good Idea, BUT, The people who work them need to be trained appropriatly. and too often they are not.

 

[R.A.T. Army]

Punk kids.

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