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Expert says Oklahoma County inmate’s death listed wrong
By NOLAN CLAY NewsOK.com
Published: 12/16/2009 6:14 AM
Last Modified: 12/16/2009 6:14 AM
An expert who has done more than 8,000 autopsies testified Tuesday an Oklahoma County jail inmate did not die from head injuries.
The expert, Dr. Thomas Bennett, was the first defense witness at the federal trial of a fired jail guard accused of killing the inmate. Bennett said the cause of death should have been recorded as unknown.
The former guard, Gavin Douglas Littlejohn, 26, of Oklahoma City, is accused in a criminal charge of violating the inmate’s civil rights by using so much excessive force against the inmate that the inmate died. He has admitted striking the handcuffed inmate three times inside the jail’s 13th floor clinic but said he "didn’t even hit that dude hard.”
The inmate, Christopher Beckman, 34, of Choctaw, died in a hospital May 28, 2007, two days after struggling with jail guards. The concrete worker had been jailed for driving under the influence and other minor complaints.
Click here to read the complete article at NewsOK.com.
By NOLAN CLAY NewsOK.com
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Comments
Report Comment
oldnorthroad
,
(9 months ago)
Littlejohn did not hit the guy hard he claims? Is that in comparison to how hard he hit other inmates?
Report Comment
Travelin Man
,
tulsa
(9 months ago)
Littlejohn must have been ex highway patrolman.
Report Comment
mason
,
(9 months ago)
Please just another cover up when convenient. Please explain it to god.
Report Comment
nakose
,
(9 months ago)
i think it takes a real tough guy to whip up on somebody handcuffed and drunk. i figure inmates will take care of him when he gets there. jailers are just wannabe cops that can't make the grade.
Report Comment
GARFIELD
,
TULSA
(9 months ago)
'UNKNOWN'??Surely, a medical doctor can be more specific than that!! Another Cop-Out???
Report Comment
T-Town Yankee
,
(9 months ago)
Programs ! get your Programs here !
Cops, Jailers, and Inmates....
Without the badge or a program you can't tell em apart.
Get your Programs !
Report Comment
HarleyRyder55
,
Tulsa
(9 months ago)
skippy1, that's exactly what I was thinking. If they're acting up or kicking at you, take them down to the floor and restrain them, but there's no need to strike them anywhere. Sounds like Littlejohn has anger management issues, big time.
Report Comment
Raven is my name
,
Guthrie
(9 months ago)
A few weeks ago in Guthrie at the Logan County jail, 2 jailers were charge with raping one of the female inmates. The camera showed them going into her cell and coming out about 5 minutes later. Even if she consented to it, it is still rape because something to do with while the inmate is in custody, they're like property of the state or something, and they can't legally consent. Jailers are pretty much just wannabe cops who can't make the grade, I agree.
Report Comment
forkandknife
,
Tulsa
(9 months ago)
Raven is my name, RAPE? In prison? You don't say!
Report Comment
C-Bar
,
The Barn Yard
(9 months ago)
I smell a big ole stinky rat here!!!
Report Comment
owl
,
Tulsa
(9 months ago)
Have had the unfortunate experience some years ago of bailing out an errant family member. Have never forgotten the rotten attitude of jail employees toward, not only the dumb perp but the dumb perp's family. (me) Was easy to guess how this disdainful attitude would translate in the areas of jail hidden from public view.
Report Comment
A Tulsan
,
(9 months ago)
Hey, Skippy, so when the inmates (even cuffed) start kicking, biting, etc. the jailers they are suppose to just take the abuse. It's surprising how well a suspect can still cause injury while cuffed. The guards have a tough job...what if they used a taser on the guy and he died...then what...still abusive...if people don't want to be placed in that type of situation they should obey the law...period...it should never be a party when in lock up...we have overcrowding, budget cuts, etc. happening all over this nation - and that includes our police force...I believe we need to make stations and prisons such vile/horrid/tough places that it will make people think twice before they break the law. My condolences to the family of the drunk/out of control concrete worker.
Report Comment
odat1967
,
Claremore
(9 months ago)
This does not surprise me at all. Most jail/prison guards I have known have severe power and control issues - on major power trips! and not just with inmates! I was "verbally assaulted" by 2 prison guards (2x by one of them) - treated with disrespect, disregard, and humiliation.... and I was NOT an inmate!! (I was a visitor) The 2nd time by 2 of them was because I had a complaint about the first time/one - the second guard who "took" the complaint was more "assaultive" than the first guard was! Ridiculous..... fine line.....
Report Comment
Whirled Peas
,
(9 months ago)
Civilians are charged with murder for far, far less.
There should be no double standard for jail guards.
Report Comment
Whirled Peas
,
(9 months ago)
A Tulsan wrote: "I believe we need to make stations and prisons such vile/horrid/tough places that it will make people think twice before they break the law. My condolences to the family of the drunk/out of control concrete worker."
Somehow I get that your sympathy for the murder victim is not sincere.
Report Comment
Raven is my name
,
Guthrie
(9 months ago)
forkandknife - This isn't even prison. This is the county jail. Like you got arrested for a DUI and didn't bail out yet. Or you had hot checks and didn't bail out yet. Or you left your driver's license at home and then got stopped for a tag light out and they took you to jail and you dodn't bail out yet. A lot of the people in county jail haven't been in gront of the judge for their alleged crimes, and possibly have only been in there for 5 minutes before something like this.
Report Comment
A Tulsan
,
(9 months ago)
Hey Whirled, if you read my statement my condolences went out to the family of the inmate. Read the article, that guy was a drunk driver...what if the article instead was about the innocent mother and child he could have killed while driving.
Report Comment
ok sooner
,
(9 months ago)
No such thing as an ex-highway patrolman. they never fire any of them no matter what they did.
Report Comment
okie ridgerunner
,
Small Country Town State Line
(9 months ago)
Whirled Peas, I agree there should be no double standard. but as we all no there is. Wrong.
Report Comment
okie ridgerunner
,
Small Country Town State Line
(9 months ago)
If they dont know you and like you.even if you are not a criminal when you go to jail for any reason you are treated like a criminal.even if you are not guilty you put your self in the situation of being arrested and going to jail. so as far as they are concerned you are dumb and they are smart and they have the POWER.and they want you to know it.
Report Comment
Bl. Collar
,
(9 months ago)
Whirled,Double standard very wrong and pervasive!Watched a friends life ruined by Dirty cop in 1976-77 .Officer Gary Brown was arrested by the FBI later and served very little time in Federal prison {country club}.Died a few years, I drank two bottles of water and paid my respects.!
Report Comment
Bl. Collar
,
(9 months ago)
Few years later.Must proof read.
Report Comment
Patty Brando
,
Appleton
(9 months ago)
The jailer needs IMPRISONMENT. I smell a rat, too
Report Comment
mayor_maynot
,
Tulsa
(9 months ago)
Jailers will bend the rule to their advantage. To prove it you have to go allllllllll the way around the good ole boy network. Sounds like this one jailer has fouled his play with his own mouth. "hit him while he was handcuffed"? ACLU issue.
Report Comment
ok sooner
,
(9 months ago)
Hey A Tulsan Do you remember Tulksa Police officer Roy Johnson who arrested a nurse for DUI... Turns out the nurse wasn't drunk and Roy just lied. People in county jail have not been convicted and the police are not alwways right.
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