A sixth officer was arrested Tuesday as the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office continues investigating 2022 video from an excessive-force incident in the jail.
Deputy Melissa Morello, 27, was charged with misdemeanor battery and felony violation of oath by a public officer. She surrendered Tuesday morning and was released after being booked into the same jail where she served.
Five other officers have been arrested since Friday, including Investigators Johnny Atkinson and Austin Birch, Cpl. Daniel D’Aversa, Deputy Dantavion Jones and retired jail Lt. John Whitaker. They are all free on bond.
A press release says Richmond County internal affairs officers were first made aware Thursday of a May 2022 incident between deputies and inmates.
“After the review of body camera and surveillance videos, it was determined that the amount of force used in response to the call was unnecessary,” a press release said.
However, an email shows the sheriff’s office was sent an edited version of the inmate assault in November. An agency spokesperson said that last week was the first time they received “any video that was complete and authenticated.”
On Tuesday night, WRDW-TV obtained a leaked copy of bodycam video from Deputy Morello that shows the chain of events before the excessive force was used. Jailers are seen arriving into the pod, which the inmates had apparently flooded by breaking sprinklers in protest of broken toilets.
While several inmates have their hands up in apparent surrender, the officers forced them from the second floor into the first floor to lay handcuffed in the pool of water. Inmate Naytrone Adams’ has his handcuffs taken off after a jailer says that he wants to fight. Deputy Johnny Atkinson immediately swings on the inmate and then proceeds to put Adams in a chokehold as other jailers watch.
The sheriff’s office declined to release the full video, saying it is considered evidence in a pending prosecution and exempt from disclosure.
Meanwhile, a LinkedIn page gives a background on Deputy Morello, saying she has worked for the sheriff’s office since October 2020.
“I have a huge passion for the Anti-Human Trafficking movement and helping women and men who are coming out of the life of prostitution,” Morello wrote on her profile. “I love my advocacy work and look forward to collaborating with others who have the same passion. I am willing to set up speaking engagements, and presentations on Trafficking, the trauma it causes and the aftercare of survivors. I like to also speak about the higher risks foster care children have to be targeted due to my work with foster care children.”
