Boot Camp Beating Death of Black Teenager Sets Off Protest & Sit-Ins at Gov. Bush's office
Saturday, April 22, 2006 at 11:59PM 
Thirty students staged a sit-in at the office of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Wednesday to protest what they called a slow investigation into the death of a teenager at a juvenile boot camp in January. "It's been 105 days since this young man's death and nothing has been done," said Gabriel Pendas, 23, president of the student senate at Florida State University. "We will stay here until something is done." Bush, the younger brother of President Bush, was in Washington to show support for the war in Iraq. The students declined an offer to meet with Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings. Martin Lee Anderson, 14, died hours after arriving at the juvenile detention facility in Panama City, Florida, for stealing his grandmother's car and violating probation. A videotape taken at the camp showed guards punching and kicking the boy, who at times appeared limp. An autopsy by the Bay County medical examiner attributed Anderson's death to internal bleeding from a previously undiagnosed disorder, sickle cell trait. But the autopsy results were heavily criticized and the governor called for an independent investigation into Anderson's death. Anderson's body was exhumed and a second autopsy conducted. Official results have not been released, but a coroner who observed the second autopsy has said the results of the first autopsy were wrong. The protesters want the second autopsy to be made public and for the Republican governor to publicly apologize to Anderson's family. They also want law enforcement officials reprimanded, and all seven guards seen in the video arrested and charged. [MORE] and [MORE] and [MORE]
- Statement from the students [MORE]
- Boot camp death spurs Tallahassee rally; Sharpton, Jackson attend [MORE]
Head of Florida Law Enforcement Quits after Making Stupid Racial Remarks: Bush Appointee Compared Black leaders to Osama bin Laden and Jesse James.
Guy Tunnell abruptly ended his controversial run as head of Florida's Department of Law Enforcement on Thursday, days after sources said he made off-color remarks comparing black leaders who were to attend a Capitol rally to Osama bin Laden and Jesse James. Tunnell submitted his resignation to Gov. Jeb Bush hours after The Miami Herald requested he comment on whether he likened U.S. Sen. Barack Obama to terrorist leader bin Laden and the Rev. Jesse Jackson to outlaw James during a meeting of Bush's agency heads Tuesday. One person in the room and another source who spoke with an agency head told The Miami Herald about his remarks. Obama and Jackson were invited to a march today to bring attention to the death of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson after an altercation with guards at a Panama City boot camp. The FDLE was initially investigating, until a special prosecutor threw it off the case after The Miami Herald reported Tunnell exchanged e-mails with the sheriff who ran the camp. He said he did nothing wrong, but said he apologized for the "appearance of impropriety.'' Bush had only kind words for Tunnell in a written statement Thursday night. Tunnell founded the Panama City boot camp and hired many of the guards later videotaped in Martin's beating. [MORE]
Reader Comments (6)
First, I would like you to accept my condolences. For my own experiences, the grief is overwhelming and it will increase with the time. The death of a son is an insurmountable loss. My name is Beatriz Luis-Garcia and 25 months ago my son Leonardo Barquin was assassinated by a policeman in Miami. His name is officer Jorge Espinosa and at the time of the incident, he had a record of police brutality. More than two years later, the case is still in the Attorney Office. This killer shouted my son three times in the back, then handcuff and beat him. Even when my son was a minor child, they didn’t call me; consequently he died ALONE 6 hours later in the hospital. After this horrible murder, many more persons had been killed by the police. Let me tell you that the police are well-connected with the mafia; they have power and the right to use gums. We, as mothers, need to fight together to change the law that allow a police to comeback to the streets after an assassination, they must be automatically suspended. This pain can not be compare with anything, literally the HEART HURT. These criminals must go before the judge and pay for what they did it. I made a wed page to my son -------------------- there you can find statistics of people killed by the police and other case of police brutality here in Miami.
We need to be together, we need to be strong to encourage the law. Receive a big hug of a mother that as you is in pain. My prays are with you, and remember your son as well as mine and others mom’s sons, with the same unhappy end, are angels, from the sky they are taking care of us and will give us the strength to encourage the law.
I am with you for what you need,a hug.
Beatriz Luis-Garcia.
www.leonardobarquin.com
we should do something-
tammy
Before Martin Lee Anderson was locked up in a military-style youth camp in the Florida Panhandle, he told his mother he would do what I've got to do and come home a changed man. :(
Here is a good article to read before sending your troubled kid to a juvenile boot camp: http://www.teenbootcamps.org/boot-camps/does-your-troubled-teen-need-a-juvenile-boot-camp.html