Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Professional Standards Bureau
- Administrative Investigation Division
Department of Detention and Corrections

Deputy Mathew Stanfield
Age: 26
Date Of Hire: 10/17/2011
Termination Effective: 6/20/2016

What:
A Detention Deputy was terminated for battering an inmate at the Pinellas County Jail.

When:
The incident occurred while the detention deputy was on duty on March 22, 2016.

Where:
The incident occurred in an inmate housing area of the Pinellas County Jail.

Why/How:
According to the administrative investigation, Deputy Mathew Stanfield was conducting checks in an inmate housing unit on March 22, 2016, when he found graffiti written on the wall of a cell. The graffiti was derogatory in nature towards law enforcement.

Administrative Investigation Division investigators say that an inmate inside the cell accepted responsibility for the graffiti. Stanfield angrily instructed the inmate to meet him in an area of the jail that was obscured from video monitoring. The inmate followed Stanfield to a cell that was occupied by four other inmates.

Investigators say that Stanfield ordered the four inmates out of the video obstructed cell and directed them to a location where their view was obstructed. Stanfield remained in the unmonitored cell with the inmate for approximately three minutes. 

According to the inmate, when he entered the cell with Stanfield, the deputy threatened him with his Electronic Control Weapon.  Stanfield informed the inmate that they were going to “grapple” and charged the inmate grabbing his leg, lifting him off the ground, knocking him backward into a concrete wall, and then to the floor.

Investigators say that the inmate suffered non-life threatening injuries to his arm and his back, and was treated by jail medical staff.

Investigators say that Stanfield failed to prepare an incident report, use of force report, or inmate disciplinary report for the inmate’s alleged writing of the graffiti. Stanfield also provided false factual statements about the incident when questioned by his Chain of Command and the Administrative Investigation Division.  

As a result of the administrative investigation, Stanfield was terminated effective Monday, June 20, 2016. Investigators are conducting a criminal investigation into the incident and a misdemeanor charge for battery will be referred to the State Attorney’s Office.

The investigation continues.