Hogtied, punched and pepper sprayed: Video shows brutal beating of Jessie Lee Williams
Editor’s note: This story originally published Aug. 9, 2007.
All eyes focused on monitors in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. of the videotaped beating of Jessie Lee Williams Jr. played before a noon break in the trial of two Harrison County jailers.
Jeremy Powell, a Gulfport High School student who was 14 when he visited the jail Feb. 4, 2006 for a school project, recounted what he saw and heard as federal prosecutor John Cotton Richmond played the tape and stopped it numerous times to ask questions.
Powell identified Ryan Michael Teel as the one who delivered most of the blows and Regina Rhodes as the other officer who also punched Williams. Movement in the videotape is choppy, but it shows Williams entering the booking room at 10:30 p.m. in a white T-shirt with his hands cuffed behind him.
At 10:32 p.m., the tape shows Rhodes pushing him against the wall. Powell said it was because Williams failed to comply with an order to remain standing against the wall. The tape shows Williams moving away from Teel as Teel’s right leg drew back and then kicked him. Williams lunged at Teel and both fell on the floor, with Williams hitting his head against the wall.
The tape shows Williams was punched repeatedly in the head, back and chest by Teel, hogtied, punched some more and dropped headfirst before he was wrapped in a black blanket.
The punching continued even as Williams was strapped to a restraint chair. The tape shows Williams legs moving and Teel shoving the chair back against the wall.
Prior to being placed in the chair, a woman identified as Gulfport Police Officer Kelly Knight handed Teel a can of pepper spray, which was sprayed in his face through a spit mask that had been placed over his head. While Williams was restrained in the chair, Teel poured water over his face.
According to Powell, Teel said ,”I hope you don’t drown.” It appeared the water was an effort to decontaminate Williams from the burning sensation of the pepper spray.
Within an hour, an ambulance crew arrived to take him to the hospital, where he died when he was removed from life support two days later on Feb. 6, 2006. Teel conferred with his attorney as the tape played.
Terry Williams, Jessie Williams’ brother, looked on with a pained expression as his wife, Annette, patted his back.
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 1:43 PM.
