A family is furious and speaking out after, they say, their loved one was badly beaten behind bars by a group of corrections officers.
The parents of inmate Christopher Castro, Mary and Marcus Pratt, said they remain with many questions about what happened to their incarcerated son.
“It’s betrayal, anger. I just can’t imagine how people can do stuff like that,” said Mary.
According to photos found inside court documents, Castro is seen bruised and bloodied.
Investigators said Castro suffered these injuries at the hands of several corrections officers at Dade Correctional Institution, south of Homestead back in April.
Seven officers are being investigated and at least six of them are currently facing charges.
7News cameras captured most of those officers involved walking out of jail on Thursday.
Investigators allege Lt. Shentrica Clark, Officer Jordy Calero, and Sergeants Travon Norman, D’Andre Hill, Sgt. Richard Jackson, and Sgt. Freddie Morgan were all involved in the beating that happened in a holding cell.
A seventh officer, Capt. Jochen Anglin, was arrested and charged with failure to report authorized use of force and perjury. Investigators said Anglin stayed outside the cell while the others attacked Castro.
Court documents state the officers transported Castro to a holding cell and attacked him once he resisted. They “kicked and punched [the inmate] in his face, on his head, on his back and on his arms, which were handcuffed behind his back.”
Some of the accused officers tried to conceal evidence, like trying to get rid of the inmate’s blood that was smeared on the walls of the facility, according to arrest reports.
Castro’s parents were shocked to learn on Friday about the severity of the alleged attack.
“I just can’t imagine what he’s going through and what he went through. My heart just breaks,” said Mary. “It’s a nightmare.”
Court documents also allege that the day after the attack, Clark attributed Castro’s injuries to a different incident, alleging that Castro “tried to stab a corrections officer in the recreational yard,” but the warden at the prison said surveillance video does not support that claim.
“I feel like his rights were violated on so many levels,” said Marcus.
According to investigators, the investigation began after another corrections officer questioned Castro’s injuries.
The inmate’s parents said they are thankful to the officer who reported it.
“Whoever the officer was that reported it, I want to thank him because there’s no telling what could’ve happened,” said Mary.
But now they are focused on getting justice for their son.
“Justice has to be served. They can’t get away with that. They can’t,” said Mary.
The Florida Department of Corrections said that any of their staff members involved in this incident “were dismissed as quickly as administratively possible.”