Sheriff's Sergeant Accused Of Punching, Slapping Jail Inmate

CLEARWATER, FL — Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said his office is continuing to investigate allegations of misconduct at the Pinellas County Jail, 14400 49th St. N., Clearwater, following the arrest of a former Department of Detention and Corrections sergeant Monday.

Sgt. Patrick Knight, 51, was charged with battery and official misconduct.

After being notified of the internal investigation, Knight resigned from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 22 after 25 years with the sheriff's office.

According to Gualtieri, on Nov. 19 a homeless inmate, Terrell Johnson, 41, who'd been arrested by St. Petersburg police and booked into the Pinellas County Jail Nov. 18, began kicking his cell door in the temporary housing unit at the jail.

Corrections department staff said Johnson had become disruptive and uncooperative during his medical screening, so they handcuffed him and placed him in a single cell to give him time to calm down.

Instead of calming down, however, Johnson became more agitated. Sheriff's detectives who conducted the internal investigation into the incident said Knight and Cpl. Jamason Jessie, 46, were in the hallway outside the cell when they heard Johnson begin kicking the door.

Knight and Jessie entered the cell. That's when Knight is accused of pushing, slapping, punching and grabbing Johnson's hair without provocation.

Detectives found that Knight’s written report and verbal account of what happened had inconsistencies.

Jessie originally backed up Knight's story, however, a couple of hours later, Jessie recanted his initial statement and said Knight struck Johnson without cause.