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Jail staffing questioned after violent attack on Hillsborough detention deputy by inmate

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Updated  October 24, 2024 5:29pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

Inmate charged with attacking detention deputy

FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports.

TAMPA - An inmate in the Hillsborough County jail could be locked up for decades after investigators said he attacked a detention deputy, leaving him with serious injuries.

According to court documents, the deputy was questioning inside one of the jail's housing units and, when the deputy tried to place Fulton in handcuffs, "the defendant pulled away and struck him in the face with a closed fist."

The criminal report affidavit indicates the attack, which was recorded by the jail's security cameras, lasted about four minutes before another inmate was able to pull Fulton off the deputy.

Following Fulton's pretrial detention hearing Thursday, which was continued until Monday, Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez said she wants Fulton to receive the maximum 30-year sentence.

"This is one of the most violent videos that I have ever seen. It absolutely turned my stomach when I saw it. It's horrific," Lopez said. "He absolutely cannot be walking amongst us in our community. He deserves to be behind bars. I'm not sure where the jail is going to put him because he's also shown that he can't be safe."

Lopez said Fulton is an accused violent criminal out of Broward County who was arrested in Hillsborough for violating his probation.

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The details of the attack in court documents left former corrections officers questioning how the fight lasted several minutes.

"I was shocked because four minutes is an eternity," said Joe Rojas, who is retired after spending 30 years as a corrections officer and federal union representative. "It seems forever, just for a minute, let alone four minutes. It's ridiculous and that's scary. It's amazing that he survived. Thank God he survived."

A sheriff's office spokesperson said the deputy's radio had been knocked away during the fight, so he couldn't immediately call for help. The response by deputies monitoring the security cameras is unclear.

Rojas, meanwhile, wonders if this is an indication of staffing issues he said are plaguing corrections facilities nationwide.

"The staffing from the state to the city to the county, and we're all dealing with the same thing, it is incredibly low and dangerous," he said.

During Fulton's hearing, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office asked the judge to prevent the media from viewing and recording video of the attack. That decision is expected to come next week.

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