- Police Brutality Watch

Two years after a Zephyrhills man was killed in the Pinellas County Jail, two deputies and a sergeant face suspensions in connection with the man's death. After hearing the findings of an administrative review board, Sheriff Jim Coats ruled Friday that Deputies William Johnson and Walter Kelly each should be suspended for three days without pay for not monitoring inmate Larry Germonprez as they restrained him. They also should receive remedial training on the use of force, the sheriff said. "A three-day suspension within our organization is not minimal," said Coats' chief deputy, Dennis Fowler. Sgt. Sheila Christian, who supervised the deputies but didn't restrain Germonprez, faces a 10-day suspension and a year of supervisory probation. She should have called for a specially trained team to restrain Germonprez because he had earlier resisted other deputies, the sheriff's review board found. On March 11, 2003 three deputies forced Germonprez, 41 into the cell and pinned him face down on a padded cot until he stopped resisting. Minutes later, Germonprez - a college graduate and father of six - died, his ribs broken in 17 places, the air crushed out of him.. Germonprez had been arrested after a car accident and charged with leaving the scene of a crash, drunken driving, driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana. His family was angered Friday after learning of the suspensions. Pugh, her two children and Germonprez's four children by other women filed a $10-million wrongful death lawsuit last month. "Deputies killed him and his children deserve better than these suspensions," she said [more] and [more]