Boot Camp Beating Death of Black Teenager Sets Off Protest & Sit-Ins at Gov. Bush's office

/

protestsitin.jpg
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]
redneckcop.jpg

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]