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New Autopsy: Guards Killed Fla. Boot Camp Teen

In February, TChris wrote about the death of 14 year old Martin Anderson at a Florida boot camp. The first autopsy said Anderson died of causes related to sickle-cell anemia, rather than the beating he sustained by guards.

A second autopsy has been performed. It concludes guards suffocated Anderson while trying to restrain him.

"The suffocation was caused by manual occlusion of the mouth, in concert with forced inhalation of ammonia fumes that caused spasm of the vocal cords resulting in internal blockage of the upper airway."

It is expected that the guards will be charged in Anderson's death. The camp has since been closed. More details:

Anderson collapsed January 5 at the Bay County Sheriff's Office Boot Camp program in Panama City, Florida. He had complained earlier in the day, his first at the facility, of breathing difficulties while running around a track as part of the admission process.

At one point, Anderson told the officers he couldn't breathe well enough to continue running. The report said he resisted repeated attempts to get him to complete the exercise by pulling away, tensing his body, struggling and balling his fists.

Videotape of the incident showed Anderson being forced to the ground by various takedown methods, including knee strikes to his thigh, pressure points to his ear and punches to his arms. Later, another camp staffer hit him from behind, forcing Anderson to lurch forward. A nurse stood by, and on at least one occasion she determined his vital signs were normal. Anderson was taken away on a stretcher and died later that day.

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    Re: New Autopsy: Guards Killed Fla. Boot Camp Teen (none / 0) (#1)
    by john horse on Sat May 06, 2006 at 04:06:32 AM EST
    This case was so egregious that it has resulted in the closure of all boot camps in Florida. Martin Lee Anderson was a 14 year old kid who was sent to boot camp for stealing his grandmother's car. If it hadn't been for the video of his beating by the guards, other inmates at the boot camp coming forward, and his parents exhuming his body in order to conduct an independent autopsy, these guards would have probably have gotten away with it. Student activitists from FAMU, FSU and Tallahassee Community College also conducted a sit-in of the Governor Bush's office that may have resulted in the resignation of the Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement resigning the next day. Here is a timeline of events. While I am glad that it is "expected" that some guards will be charged, you have to wonder why it has taken this long. You can't help but wonder if it was Governor Bush's son that was beaten to death would we still be waiting for guards to be charged. Also it would be nice for the Governor to meet with Martin Anderson's parents. Why is that taking so long?

    Poor people tend to die under the Governors Bush. Or the Presidents Bush, for that matter. Not that Jeb did the suffocating, but when things like this happen there seems to be a predictable lack of concern on the top which eventually becomes a coverup when the bodies are found.

    Re: New Autopsy: Guards Killed Fla. Boot Camp Teen (none / 0) (#3)
    by jondee on Sat May 06, 2006 at 10:59:56 AM EST
    In the case of Florida, it will require regime change to put a halt to such terrible actions. And we know thats a no no.

    Re: New Autopsy: Guards Killed Fla. Boot Camp Teen (none / 0) (#4)
    by jondee on Sat May 06, 2006 at 11:45:54 AM EST
    Its difficult for me to watch that video without flashing on Medger Evers and a thousand other similar instances. And Im "white". I can only imagine how some black people, particularly the boys family, see this. These brutal pigs and the dehumanizing, antiquated, ethos and mindset that enables them need to be dragged fully into the light-of-day so that it can be seen for what it is.

    Re: New Autopsy: Guards Killed Fla. Boot Camp Teen (none / 0) (#5)
    by jondee on Sat May 06, 2006 at 11:53:42 AM EST
    Maybe this is what happens when Blackwater and the rest run out of slots needing to be filled.

    Re: New Autopsy: Guards Killed Fla. Boot Camp Teen (none / 0) (#6)
    by HK on Sat May 06, 2006 at 02:01:57 PM EST
    This is disturbing almost beyond belief, both the incident and the cover-up that followed. So many people share some blame for this and yet if anyone is held accountable, you know that it will only be those at the end of the chain.

    Re: New Autopsy: Guards Killed Fla. Boot Camp Teen (none / 0) (#7)
    by jondee on Sat May 06, 2006 at 04:11:38 PM EST
    The blows that the slightly built fourteen year old received from several adult males had nothing to do with his death and the camps closure had nothing to do with the incident. Uh huh. I guess when you look at who's Governor it becomes a little easier to understand the amount of b.s that people are willing to swallow down there.