The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office has released the jail surveillance video that shows the fight involving former St. Lucie County Sheriff's Deputy Evan Cramer.
Cramer is now facing battery charges after investigators say he beat up another inmate.
The former deputy was in jail in the first place on sexual battery charges. His attorneys say this jail yard fight would have never happened had the jail separated Cramer from the general inmate population.
According to the new arrest report, the altercation actually started between Cramer and another inmate.
In the video, the two look like they're preparing to fight, when all of a sudden Cramer turns his attention to a different inmate who was making a phone call.
The arrest report says that man on the phone spoke up in defense of the other inmate.
“I find it very suspicious and I’m troubled and I’m concerned that Evan Cramer is now facing new charges on the eve of his release from the county jail,” said Joshua Deckard, one of Cramer’s defense attorneys.
Deckard said they were preparing to post Cramer's bond this week after winning a motion to have his bond lowered from more than $2.5 million to $600,000.
Cramer was originally behind bars for negotiating sexual acts in exchange for not taking a woman to jail.
Prosecutors later discovered other victims.
“I’m deeply troubled that the sheriff’s office would not have had Evan Cramer segregated,” said Deckard. “Had the sheriff’s office done their job properly these new charges would not have come to play.”
The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office says there is no rule or law prohibiting a former deputy from being in the general population in jail.
