Opinion ID: 76148
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Charles Attacks Cottone

Text: 7 On April 7, guards D'Elia and Williams were summoned to Unit 1 by inmate St. Hubert. When D'Elia and Williams arrived, they found Cottone unconscious on the floor with ligature marks around his neck. During a schizophrenic episode, Charles allegedly strangled Cottone with shoelaces. After Charles's attack, Cottone was taken to North Broward Medical Center, where he died. 8 The amended complaint alleges that Charles's mental condition and the risk of serious harm that Charles posed to the other inmates was known by D'Elia and Williams. Specifically, the amended complaint alleges that prior to the murder incident, Charles was violent, out-of-control, and experiencing a schizophrenic episode and that Charles's mental condition would have been obvious to D'Elia and Williams if they had been watching the monitor. The amended complaint further alleges that D'Elia and Williams did not monitor the inmates housed in Unit 1 that day but were watching computer games, as follows: 9 Surveillance cameras mounted in the Day Room of Unit 1 were aimed at the three cells, however, they were not being monitored at the time of the incident. 10 At the time of the incident, a computer game was observed on the screen of the computer in the control room where the Defendants D'ELIA and WILLIAMS were stationed. 11 Amended Complaint, para. 50-51.