Video Clip Credit to NBC 6 News
▬▬ KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
A Handcuffed Man. A Jail Elevator. No Witnesses — Except the Camera.
Video shows a Miami-Dade corrections officer repeatedly striking a restrained inmate. It took nearly three years to file charges. Here is what you need to know about your rights inside Miami-Dade jails.
BY DENNIS GONZALEZ JR., ESQ. • FORMER MIAMI-DADE PROSECUTOR • MARCH 2026
| 8 Officers Charged | 2 Separate Facilities | 1,064 Days to File Charges |
This week, video surfaced showing a Miami-Dade corrections officer repeatedly striking a handcuffed inmate inside an elevator at the Pre-Trial Detention Center. The officer swung on the restrained man multiple times. The inmate, Spencer Butler, was heard on body camera footage hours later yelling that he had been beaten.
The officer, Myth Louis-Jeune, was charged with misdemeanor battery. But here is the part that should concern every person sitting inside a Miami-Dade jail right now, and every family member waiting on the outside: the beating happened on March 1, 2023. Charges were not filed until January 30, 2026. Nearly three years passed before the State Attorney's Office acted.
And this was not an isolated incident. In a separate case at Dade Correctional Institution in Florida City, seven corrections officers were arrested and charged with battery on a detainee, tampering with physical evidence, failure to report use of force, and perjury — after investigators determined that two officers kicked and punched a handcuffed inmate named Christopher Castro in the face, head, and back while five other officers watched and said nothing.
If this is what happens on camera, what happens when the cameras are off?
Timeline: Pre-Trial Detention Center Incident
| Nov 2021 | | Prior Suspension Officer Louis-Jeune suspended for a separate use-of-force/excessive force incident. He returns to active duty. | | Mar 1, 2023 | | The Elevator Beating At approximately 8:53 PM, surveillance video captures Officer Louis-Jeune repeatedly striking handcuffed inmate Spencer Butler inside a jail elevator at the Pre-Trial Detention Center. | | Mar 2, 2023 | | Body Camera Footage Around 2:00 AM, body cameras record Butler yelling that he had been beaten. He is later asked to write a statement about what happened in the elevator. | | 1,064 DAYS — NO CHARGES FILED | | 1,064 DAYS — NO CHARGES FILED | | | | 1,064 DAYS — NO CHARGES FILED | | | Jan 30, 2026 | | Charges Finally Filed The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office files a misdemeanor battery charge against Officer Louis-Jeune. He pleads not guilty. | | Mar 2026 | | Video Goes Public NBC6 obtains and broadcasts the elevator surveillance footage. Officer is relieved of duty with pay. Trial pending. |
FLORIDA LAW
This Is Not About "Bad Apples." This Is About Your Rights.
I am not writing this post to attack corrections officers. The vast majority do a difficult, dangerous, and underpaid job with professionalism. But when an officer crosses the line — when force is used not to maintain order but to punish, to retaliate, or to send a message — Florida law is clear: that is a crime.
Which statute applies depends on where it happened. Officers at Miami-Dade County jails, such as the Pre-Trial Detention Center (PTDC) and TGK, are county employees, and force they use without legal justification is prosecuted under Florida's general battery statutes (§ 784.03). Section 944.35, Florida Statutes, governs employees of the Florida Department of Corrections, in state prisons such as Dade Correctional Institution. Under § 944.35, an officer may use physical force only when reasonably necessary to defend, prevent escape, prevent damage to property, quell a disturbance, overcome resistance to a lawful command, or administer medical treatment. Under either statute, force used with malicious intent against a restrained person is not "doing the job." It is battery.
What Florida Law Says About Force in State Prisons (§ 944.35)
§ 944.35, Florida Statutes — Key Provisions
| ⚖ Force Must Be Reasonably Necessary State corrections officers may use physical force only when reasonably necessary to defend, prevent escape, prevent damage to property, quell a disturbance, overcome resistance to a lawful command, or administer medical treatment. § 944.35(1)(a) | ⚠ Malicious Battery Is a Crime An officer who commits battery with malicious intent commits a first-degree misdemeanor. If the battery causes great bodily harm, permanent disability, or disfigurement, it is a third-degree felony. § 944.35(3)(a)(1)–(2) | | ⚙ Witnesses Must Report Officers who witness unauthorized force and fail to report it commit a first-degree misdemeanor. Submitting a false report is also a first-degree misdemeanor. § 944.35(4)(a)–(b) | ♥ Medical Exam Required After Force A qualified health care provider must examine every person physically involved in a use-of-force incident. Injuries must be documented by a physician within five working days. § 944.35(1)(b) |
In the Dade Correctional case, officers were charged under multiple provisions — battery, evidence tampering, perjury, and failure to report. The system held them accountable. But it only happened because investigators were able to piece together what occurred in an area with no surveillance cameras.
TWO CASES, ONE PATTERN
Side-by-Side: The Incidents That Shook Miami-Dade
Case Comparison
| | Pre-Trial Detention Center | Dade Correctional Institution | | Facility Type | COUNTY Downtown Miami | STATE Florida City | | Victim | Spencer Butler — handcuffed, inside elevator | Christopher Castro — handcuffed, in area with no cameras | | Officers Charged | 1 | 7 | | Charges | Misdemeanor battery | Battery, excessive force, evidence tampering, failure to report, perjury | | Key Detail | Officer had prior use-of-force suspension (Nov 2021) | Five officers watched the beating and said nothing | | Video Evidence | YES — elevator surveillance | NO — outside camera coverage | | Time to Charges | Nearly 3 years (Mar 2023 → Jan 2026) | Charges filed after investigation |
THE SYSTEM
Why It Took Three Years to Charge Officer Louis-Jeune
According to prosecutors, the delay in filing charges against Officer Louis-Jeune was because the officer's previous defense attorney requested additional time to investigate and present mitigation evidence and expert opinions. Three years of additional time.
Meanwhile, the officer remained employed. Records show he had already been suspended for a separate use-of-force/excessive force incident in November 2021 — two years before the elevator beating. He was eventually relieved of duty with pay after the charges were filed.
Your family member sitting inside that same jail does not get three years of patience from the State Attorney's Office. They get an arraignment, a bond hearing, and pressure to take a plea.
That disparity is why having an attorney who understands both sides of the system matters.
PROTECT YOUR LOVED ONE
What to Do If a Loved One Is a Victim of Excessive Force in Jail
If you believe that someone you love has been subjected to excessive force or abuse inside a Miami-Dade correctional facility, there are steps you can take — but you need to act quickly:
Five Steps to Take Now
| 01 | Document Everything If your loved one can call you, write down exactly what they tell you — dates, times, names of officers, location within the facility, names of any witnesses. Details fade. Write them down the moment you hear them. |
| 02 | Request Medical Records Immediately In state prisons, Florida law requires a medical examination after any use of force, and jails keep their own medical records. If your loved one was injured and no medical report was generated, that absence is itself significant. Your attorney can request these records. |
| 03 | File a Complaint For Miami-Dade County jails such as PTDC and TGK, complaints go to Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation. For state prisons, the Florida Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General investigates misconduct by corrections staff. Either way, a complaint creates an official record. |
| 04 | Contact a Criminal Defense Attorney If your loved one is already facing charges, anything that happens to them inside the facility can affect their case. An experienced defense attorney can use documented abuse to challenge conditions of confinement and negotiate more favorable terms. |
| 05 | Do Not Wait Evidence inside jails disappears. Surveillance footage is overwritten. Officers transfer. Witnesses are moved to other facilities. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to prove what happened. |
THE BIGGER PICTURE
What These Cases Tell Us About Miami-Dade Jails
Two separate incidents. Two separate facilities. Eight officers charged. Video evidence in one case, investigative evidence in the other. A pattern of officers believing they can use force without consequence — and in some cases, conspiring to hide it.
If you have a family member inside the Miami-Dade Pre-Trial Detention Center or Dade Correctional Institution right now, these are not abstract news stories. This is the environment your loved one is living in every day.
And if your family member is the one facing criminal charges — if they are the defendant, not the victim — they still have rights. Being accused of a crime does not strip away the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. Pretrial detainees are protected by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment; convicted inmates are protected by the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 17 of the Florida Constitution. Both bar excessive force. Being arrested does not make you less human. Being charged does not make you a punching bag.
FROM THE ATTORNEY
Why I Write About This
I am a former prosecutor. I have worked inside the system. I have seen how cases are built, how evidence is handled, and how decisions are made about who gets charged and who does not. I chose to leave prosecution and dedicate my practice to criminal defense because I believe that everyone — including the person sitting in a jail cell right now reading charges they do not fully understand — deserves someone fighting for them.
These cases out of Miami-Dade are a reminder that the system is not always just. Officers with prior disciplinary histories remain on the job for years. Beatings of handcuffed people go uncharged for nearly three years. Fellow officers watch abuse happen and say nothing.
If you or someone you love is facing criminal charges in Miami-Dade County, you need an attorney who knows how the system works — and how it fails.
Your Loved One Needs Someone Fighting for Them. Right Now.
Former prosecutor. Criminal defense attorney. Available 24 hours. Free consultation. Se habla español.
(305) 209-0384
Dennis Gonzalez Jr., Esq. | Dennis Gonzalez Law, P.A.
www.dgonz.com · @abogado.305
11401 SW 40 Street, Suite 250, Miami, FL 33165
Dennis Gonzalez Jr. is a Miami criminal defense attorney and former Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorney. He handles state and federal criminal cases throughout South Florida. Nothing in this blog post constitutes legal advice. If you need legal help, call the office directly.