A former corrections officer from Maryland has been hit with federal charges for his alleged role in a man's wrongful death. The victim in the case was a prisoner at the Prince George's County jail. The ex-officer, who was working at the jail at the time of the incident, found the man unresponsive in his cell and failed to notify the medical staff or other jail personnel.

It was later determined that the male victim, who was 19-years-old, died of strangulation. He was being held at the jail after being accused of a hit-and-run accident that killed a fellow police officer. With those circumstances surrounding the inmate's death, most people cannot help but to assume his mistreatment and death was retaliation on behalf of members of law enforcement.

The guard who recently garnered federal charges is also being targeted for falsifying reports of the incident. Even though he found the man unresponsive in his cell and failed to notify anyone, he tried to cover up his tracks in a written report. He issued a false witness report and never mentioned that he found the victim in his cell. The officer claimed that a fellow officer was the one to discover the deceased inmate.

Once the inmate was discovered and issued medical attention, the jail's staff took him to a hospital where he was declared dead by strangulation. There is little evidence to shine a light on how the man could have died, or who might have killed him. Nevertheless, the inmate's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

The inmate was being housed in a maximum security portion of the jail where seven guards and various supervisors had access to him. Jail officials said the inmate did not suffer from any psychological disorders and staff checked on him regularly.

The county executive claimed the death was not caused by the actions of jail staff and that vigilante justice is strictly outlawed. Meanwhile, the guard at the center of the recent charges will appear in a federal court soon where he faces up to life in prison for his alleged role.

Source: Associated Press, "Former corrections officer in Md. charged after inmate's death; accused of helping cover it up," Jan. 26, 2012