Federal prisoner dies in ‘use of force’ incident in Florida Panhandle jail

Federal prisoner dies in ‘use of force’ incident in Florida Panhandle jail

A federal prisoner being housed in a Florida Panhandle jail died Sunday after what the Santa Rosa County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office described as a “use of force” incident.

The sheriff’s office said in a release the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate was being held in the Santa Rosa County Jail. The identity of the deceased prisoner is not being released “out of respect and to maintain privacy for the family.”

Jillian Durkin, Public Information Officer for the SRCSO, told the Pensacola News Journal the officer involved has not been placed on administrative leave because the incident involved “normal use of force,” as opposed to deadly force.

“Incidents like this deeply affect us all,” Durkin wrote in the release. “We value the lives of all the members of our community and those in our custody. This incident is currently being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, with whom we are working with fully.

“We ask for your patience as this thorough investigation ensues. It is at times like these that our agency self-assesses and evaluates our current practices to ensure we are operating in the best interests of the community.”