6 corrections officers charged with assaulting inmate at Walker County Jail

WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — Several employees at the Walker County Jail have been charged with abusing at least six inmates, including one who died as a result of “medical neglect” he suffered at the jail.

Arcelia Tidwell, Dayton Wakefield, Robert Madison, Daniel Vickery and Jacob Edwards are accused of depriving Anthony “Tony” Mitchell of his rights, specifically, depriving him of humane conditions of confinement including food, clothing, shelter, sanitation, medical and mental healthcare and more. The news came in an indictment released Monday.

Mitchell was arrested on January 12, 2023 after he allegedly fired a gun at police during a welfare check. According to surveillance footage and claims by other jail workers, Mitchell was subjected to cruel punishment while behind bars at the Walker County Jail, from reportedly having food and water withheld from him, keeping him in a frigid condition where he was often naked and other deputies abusing him.

On January 26, 2023, Mitchell became unresponsive and was taken to the hospital, where he died later that day. In his report, Walker County Coroner Joey Vick concluded that Mitchell’s death had been caused by “medical neglect.” He was 33.

Tidwell, Wakefield, Madison, Vickery, Richard Holtzman and Edwards are accused of depriving Mitchell of the right “to be free from the deprivation of liberty without the due process of law, which includes the right to be free from force by a law enforcement officer.”

According to the indictment, on November 1, 2022, individual #2, a 43-year-old detainee, was awaiting sentencing and housed in the jail’s B dorm. Individual #3, an 18-year-old pre-trial detainee, was being housed in the jail’s E dorm. Tidwell and Holtzman are accused of offering “free-world” food to the 43-year-old detainee to assault the 18-year-old. After the 18-year-old was assaulted, Dayton Wakefield, Holtzman and others offered “free-world” food to the 43-year-old as payment.

On November 17, 2022, individual #4 was a 32-year-old pre-trial detainee being held at the jail. An outside door of the jail was opened, allowing individual #4 to escape. They were captured a few hours later and escorted to a cell in the jail’s A dorm. Holzman and Daniel Vickery are accused of assaulting individual #4, causing them to bleed from their face and covering part of another co-conspirator’s pants with individual #4’s blood. Tidwell reportedly praised the co-conspirator whose pants were covered in blood and encourage similar conduct from officers to punish detainees.

On January 9, 2023, individual #5 was a 38-year-old detainee being held in cell RX3. Holtzman reportedly physically assaulted Individual #5, causing him to bleed from his face, fracturing bones in their head and covering parts of the cell in their blood.

Holtzman is accused of depriving individual #5 of the right, secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States, to be free from the deprivation of liberty without the due process of law, which includes the right to be free from force by a law enforcement officer.

Tidwell and Holtzman are accused of providing a letter to a sentencing court proceeding on behalf of the 43-year-old, falsely attesting to his peaceful character, including falsely asserting that the 43-year-old had shown zero signs of aggression and had been a “model inmate.”

On January 12, 2023, Dayton Wakefield and other co-conspirators allegedly assaulted Individual #6 by punching him while he was restrained near the jail’s A dorm, causing him to bleed from his face.

Wakefield is accused of depriving individual #6 of the right, secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States, to be free from the deprivation of liberty without the due process of law, which includes the right to be free from force by a law enforcement officer. Specifically, Wakefield reportedly beat individual #6 while he was handcuffed.

Vickery and Holtzman are accused of depriving individual #4 of the right, secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States, to be from the deprivation of liberty without the due process of law, which includes the right to be free from force by a law enforcement officer. Specifically, Wakefield reportedly beat individual #4 while he was handcuffed.

You can read the full indictment below: