ST. LUCIE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE NEWS CONFERENCE | BREAKING LIVE: St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office announces arrest of agency employee. https://bit.ly/3CIEkPU | By WPTV | Maybe the time you arrested me for How long have you been in the news business? I’ve been in the news business for 41 years. It’s, you know, you hear me? Uh huh. Okay. we were you over there. I mean, I’m, you know, just traveling around, visiting or whatever the case may be and turn on the local news. Maybe I’ve seen you that way but at different conferences always been in Florida but no, no, no been in Scranton PA Greenville, North Carolina. I’m from Greenville, South Carolina right now. Interesting. Gary, you’re good. close and you guys are good. We’re good. Brian, I’m doing your job up here too by the way. sir. Yes, sir. Two. Well, good afternoon. This is the first time as chief deputy and I’m coming before you to announce the rest of one of our own. These announcements are never easy to share but are important to maintain our commitment to transparency and to our community. On September, 5th, 24 Year-old, Darius Randolph of Port Saint Lucie, who’s assigned to the Saint Lucie County Jail a detention deputy had an altercation with an inmate. The altercation stemmed from the inmates being distributed. Razor blades for hygiene purposes. After their use, they were collected and it was determined that one razor was missing. Another deputy learned who had the missing razor and provided verbal counseling to that inmate and others in that cell as well as recovered. The missing razor after leaving the cell Deputy Randolph entered the cell. He instructed all the other inmates other than the victim to leave the cell and then he physically shoved the victim into the wall and down onto the floor causing him to receive a gash on his nose. after the altercation and the cell Deputy Randolph escorted the victim into a common area and he stated that he had no knowledge of how the inmate was injured. after receiving treatment for his injuries. The victim filed an internal complaint with our detention investigations division As with any and all inmate complaints, a review of the incident was conducted and an investigation into what occurred in the cell with Deputy Randolph was also launched immediately That investigation proved that Deputy Randolph had entered the sale and had used excessive force on the victim The of Deputy Randolph exceed the level of force outlined in Florida State statute and the Florida corrections, accreditation standards, Randolph has been an employee of the sheriff’s office since March of 2020 and has had no prior disciplinary action the members of the members of this agency who work at the jail are entrusted with the care custody and control of all of our teammates. When that trust is broken and the highest standards are not met or maintained even by one person That person has failed our community. and this organization that failure tarnishes this agency and everyone pins this badge on each and every day. Randolph was charged with battery. an official misconduct. He’s booked into the Saint Lucie County Jail on a $5750 Bond and placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation. While there are not many questions that I can answer due to the fact that we have a pending internal affairs investigation. I will now try Take a few questions from you guys. Randolph. explain what allegedly drove him. Bare feet up. to me. He did not. confessed or anything like that or he he he gave partial statements but again, I don’t want to really get into what his partial statements were because of the fact there is that uh pending internal affairs investigation that’s going on but part of his official misconduct is also the fact that he falsify the document um which would be his official report. I’d like to ask you the name If you can’t give me that, could you please tell me what he was in for? Okay, that makes protected by Marcy’s Law. So, I can’t give you the name or or any other, you know, demographic type details um with regard to that inmate as far as what uh that inmate was in for our PI. Mike can provide you that information after this uh press conference. Um that’s a question. What was the um Uh we’ll first, just a quick question. When was the date of this? uh September 5th. Can you describe to me? You can internal affairs investigation. Is that the criminal investigation for the charges? He’s in custody for now? Is that more for his like employment with the agency? You guys is sort of in terms of review? That’s our internal administrative investigation within the agency. Um the criminal investigation takes place separately and takes place before that investigation. Sometimes they run concurrent with each other but uh that is our administrative investigation. So that is what’s still pending. Yes, correct. Right now the investigations being reviewed by the state. Well, he’s been the state attorney’s office has issued a warrant. He’s been arrested and uh given a bond for those charges. Did he spend any time in jail before posting or I’m not. He posted the bond. I know that but I don’t know how quick he posted the bond. uh and again maybe uh that’s all probably public record I believe as well so you guys can have access to win bonded out. Um could you just clarify a little bit because we started off an incident involving razors that were hidden, I guess and potentially using the fight the connection between the razors and this particular incident involving the deputy and the inmate. So, let me clarify that there wasn’t a fight or anything with the razors. There was an incident where razors were out hygiene normal, normal operation at the jail where we make sure provided with razors to conduct their their normal hygiene but it’s done so unsupervised manner. there’s a certain number handed out a certain number there to take take him back in by those deputies that are supervising when they went to take those razors back up from that uh hygiene. Um there was one missing. So, deputies then came in and found where the missing razor found the that had the razor and then like I said, they verbally counted on that. Um after that, uh Deputy Randolph um when he went into the cell, the razor had already been recovered. So, it was the inmate with the razor who is the no, it was not it’s not uh it’s just a little bit about the you see that are used to slight risk and stuff. I imagine that’s no, it’s not at all. so II. Figured there’d be some questions on razors and in our jail but again, you gotta remember um that’s in our jail are uh they have hygiene requirements and the dignity that allowed and they need deodorant and toothbrushes and uh to shave their faces and and so forth and so on Um but there’s just a disposable razor um just like you’d buy at the store there. There might be some specialty to him a little bit. Just the fact that you can’t take the pieces out and so forth but uh it’s just a normal razor. So, you the the events again, you said that Randolph other deputies have found the razor. and Randolph after the razor was found proceeded to walk into said person cell and pushed him down to uh gas on his nose and so so the sale that I’m referring to generally, they have several inmates. It could be up to six bunks within that one cell. So, after that razor was recovered by another deputy um and that incident was handled. Um Randolph went into that sale, ordered the other roommate or other inmates out other than the victim ordered him to stay in the cell and then that’s when the allegations that he shoved him against the wall and down on the floor causing the has shown to his nose. Got you. And you just said that you that person was not found to be the one who had That’s correct. That person was not. Was there any reason Randolph went into his cell? after this. It’s a great question. It’s a question we have um and we don’t have an answer to that and it would be speculation if I did. He’ll have to answer that to a judge or a jury and uh he’ll have to explain his actions to the inmate ever say why Randolph Debbie Randolph was apparently triggered Not not to my knowledge he did not. Um he didn’t know were there any witnesses uh to the event. the aside or video evidence There was not Um and again, uh investigation of that and the evidence uh with regard to the investigation and that will eventually become public record after uh the state goes through their process with it but uh there were no witnesses to that that there wasn’t a video of that incident. So, this is basically based off of the allegedly shoved into the walls. Well, that’s one piece of it. That is one piece of it. Well, listen. Um I’m going to wrap it up one more Uh I think a young man knows um was the only um visible injury or injury that was reported to our medical staff and you mentioned so the charts the battery and then the um It’s better than an official misconduct and it’s a misdemeanor battery charged and I think uh Brian RP I-0 provide you guys with uh copies of the arrest affidavit and specific charges. You guys will have all that information. So. Okay, no felony charges, no felony charges. Uh well, I’m sorry the one official misconduct is a felony charge. I’m sorry the battery is a misdemeanor. I apologize. Yeah. Alright. Well, listen. Thank you guys for coming today. It’s uh last name is HUS. Yes. And the first name is BRIAN. Alright, guys. Thank you so much. Thank you. Um but you mentioned this is