A former Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) tactical officer, Javian Griffin, 38, was sentenced yesterday to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for using excessive force against an inmate and writing a false report to cover it up.
Griffin pleaded guilty to the offense on Oct. 11, 2023. His co-defendant, another former TDOC tactical officer, Sebron Hollands, pleaded guilty on Oct. 2, 2023, to writing a false report.
“The defendant pledged to protect and serve but instead he abused his authority as a corrections officer, violently punching a man in the head and breaking his jaw,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant made matters worse by trying to cover up his tracks with a false report. This sentence sends a clear message that the Justice Department will hold accountable any official inside our jails and prisons who violates an inmate’s civil rights.”
“No correctional officer is above the law,” said US Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “The defendant assaulted an inmate and then tried to cover it up. This office’s National Security and Civil Rights Unit will continue to prioritize the prosecution of public employees who violate the civil rights of others.”
“When correctional officers abuse their authority, it not only violates our civil rights laws, it undermines the criminal justice system,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “The FBI makes it a priority to bring to justice any law enforcement officer who violates the civil rights of those they are sworn to protect.”
According to court documents entered in connection with the guilty plea, Griffin, without justification, punched an inmate in the head, breaking the inmate’s jaw. The inmate did not resist or pose a threat justifying the defendant’s use of force. After the incident, Griffin wrote a false report to cover-up the assault. Griffin’s co-defendant, Hollands, assisted with the cover up by providing false information in his official use of force report to obstruct the investigation of the incident.
The FBI Memphis Field Office investigated the case. Assistant US Attorney David Pritchard for the Western District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Matthew Tannenbaum and Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
My son has the same situation done to him but he had broken ribs 2 broke toes and a fractured jaw then kicked him in his back and left a boot print. Had to be taken to a outside emergency room.
Where do we go for Justice when the Civil Rights Division, along with the prosecutor, including the judge all all in collaboration with a cover-up of a death, which was declared by the M.E. to be a suicide, captured on 24 hour video surveilance camera monitoring recordings that were criminally omitted from Darryl Woody’s Homicide Investigation/Probe? Darryl Woody’s death occurred on January 3, 2011 in NUMC while he was on 1to1 24 hour Constant Guard Suicide Supervision with a NCCC jail guard supposedly sitting (6 ft away) outside of Darryl’s cell/location 333 at NUMC. Darryl’s death was recorded, but the videos (3) from NCPD where Darryl was brutally beaten by two NCPD interrogating detectives on December 24. 2010, reported as self inflicted injuries, captured on video, a second video from inside NCCC, while Woody was on suicide supervision, was beaten by seven NCCC jail guards, on December 26, 2010, captured on video, before Woody was transported to NUMC for medical & mental evaluation, where he was suppose to have hanged himself with a bedsheet after to reported incident that he attempted to harm himself. All three (3) videos were nit disclosed during Dattyl Woody’s Family’s Discovery Hearings in the ongoing Matter of Darryl Woody’s $140 million Wrongful Death Civil Lawsuit case that was filed against Nassau County, NCPD, NCCC, NUMC, & NYS. This matter is still active/ pending, but put on stay after the 5th intimidated & unethical lawyer rescinded from representing this case [017721/2011] two dats before Jury selection in 2021 after 12 years of injudicious trial delays & stalling-tactics designed to frustrate Darryl’s Lawsuit. Complicating this matter is the fact that N.C.’s former District Attorney, Kathleen ‘Murda’ Rice, who said that “It was time to put NCCC under a microscope”, following Darryl Woody’s death, was elected to Congress, after covering-up Darryl Woody’s death to protect Nassau County from being bankrupted (insolvency) & Rices for lap-dog accomplice, Deputy D.A., Madeline Singas, who was NCCC/NUMC’s Liaison in-charge of preserving the videos, was nominated & elected as a Top NYC Appellate Courts Judge! No one wants to go up against polical powers in higher office! Rice retired from Congress 3 months before Darryl Woody’s Wrongful Death Civil Lawsuit was was due to go to trial! While Suffolk County’s former District Attorney, Thomas Spota, SCPD Chief, James Burke, & Spota’s anti-corruption Aide were all found guilty for conspiring to cover-up the handcuffed beating of a white prisoner in 2011, Nassau County promoted its former D.A., Kathleen Rice, Rice’s trusted former corrupt lap-dog accomplice, Deputy D.A., Madeline Singas, & NCCC (former) disgraced Sheriff, Michael J. Sposato, to highervof after abusintheir office powers for personal gain & political advancement to hire offices! New York State Commission On Correction final report on the death of Darryl Woody concluded that Darryl Woody’s death was Preventable; caused by ‘Gross Negligence’ & ‘Gross Incompetence’ by NCCC jail guards & two doctors at NUMC. The report recommended an investigation into the two doctors who treated Darryl & wrote up false incident reports to cover-up Darryl Woody’s Homicide. This case is ‘on stay in Nassau County’s corrupt Supreme Court in Mineola, N.Y. were a persistent, relentless Supreme Court Judge who has repeatedly denied access to the three (3) damaging videos from NCPD, NCCC, & NUMC; Acting in Concert & in Criminal Collaboration with this continuing egregious miscarriage of Justice that’s still being perpetrated against Darryl Woody’s family more than 12 of trial delays, lawer intimidation. “I Am My Brother’s Keeper!” Video surveillance cameras in Pokice lock-ups, jails, jail medical wards,
prisons, police car/body-cam recordings don’t lie! Release the video three videos now! Case #017721/2011