Florida Inmate Starves to Death, Unable to Reach His Food after Officers Paralyzed Him

Date:  10-18-2022 At least 11 inmates in his cell block reported that Ridley never moved from his bunk, did not pick up his food trays, and that the officers ignored him and said he was faking.

From The Root: “My neck is broke. I’m paralyzed,” said Craig Ridley from a wheelchair. “You’re bullsh*tting. You’re just trying to get a lawsuit,” responded a corrections officer. Ridley laid on the floor of his cell for the next five days pleading for help as officers dropped trays of food he couldn’t reach. Just hours before, officers tackled him to the ground, dislocating his neck. A report by the Miami Herald, including details from a 383-page investigation by The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, has shined a light on the hidden story of Ridley’s death. FDLE’s report found Ridley died because of his injuries and starvation. His fellow inmates and family members told investigators his death may have been a cover up. Ridley was sentenced to a 20-year mandatory minimum on attempted murder charges in 2007. The morning of Sept. 8, 2017, correctional officers got into a struggle with Ridley, tackling him to the ground face first. According to the video footage, he was brought a wheelchair after telling the officers he couldn’t walk. He was taken to solitary confinement and officers propped up him on the cell’s toilet. He fell over, breaking his nose. Comtinue reading >>>