8 acquitted in boy’s death at boot camp
Eight former boot camp workers were acquitted of manslaughter in the death of a 14-year-old boy who was videotaped being punched and kicked. The scene sparked outrage and changes in the juvenile system.
Jurors deliberated for 90 minutes.
Anger over the verdict was obvious outside the Panama City courtroom, where bystanders screamed “murderer” at former guard Henry Dickens as he described his relief at the verdict.
Martin Lee Anderson died a day after being hit and kicked by Dickens and six other guards as a nurse watched. The 30-minute confrontation drew protests in the state capital and spelled the end of the state’s system of juvenile boot camps.
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