Jail officers charged with torturing inmates with Baby Shark’ song
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Two ex-detention officers and their supervisor in Oklahoma, USA, have been charged after they allegedly forced inmates to listen to popular children’s song “Baby Shark” for hours.
Authorities found that at least four inmates at the Oklahoma County jail have gone through the “inhuman” practice last November and December, as per The Oklahoman yesterday, Oct. 6.
Gregory Cornell Butler Jr., 21, Christian Charles Miles, 21, and Christopher Raymond Hendershott, 50, were all charged with misdemeanor counts of cruelty to a prisoner and conspiracy.
Investigations showed that the three took inmates to an attorney visitation room, hands handcuffed to the wall, and forced them to stand for hours—all the while “Baby Shark” was played on a loop at a loud volume.
The music put “undue emotional stress on the inmates who were most likely already suffering from physical stressors,” the investigator was quoted as writing in affidavits.
Sheriff P.D. Taylor, who was in charge of jail operations at the time, noted that they do not tolerate such actions and that they suspended Butler and Miles from any contact with the inmates when they found out about the practice.
Butler and Miles are accused of conducting the “inhuman” practice, while their supervisor, Hendershott, is accused of knowing about his subordinates’ actions and doing nothing about it, according to the report.
The investigator also wrote in the affidavit that Miles admitted to having been doing the cruel practice with Butler because they felt that the disciplinary action in the center “was not working in correcting the behavior of the inmates.” Butler also admitted to the crime.
It was also noted by the investigator that playing the music was “a joke between Miles and Butler,” the report said.
Butler and Miles have since resigned amid the internal investigation, while Hendershott has retired. Ian Biong /ra
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