Florida Sheriff Fires Five Guards for Two Cases of Detainee Abuse
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced on October 29, 2025, that he fired five high-ranking guards, following two separate instances of abuse toward detainees locked up at the county jail.
According to Gualtieri, one incident involved a woman detained for disorderly intoxication who was placed in a cell without a toilet. To relieve herself, she urinated into a drain while still handcuffed and, in doing so, exposed her butt and genitalia on camera. Four guards proceed to take a photo, share it on social media, and display it publicly in the jail’s booking room. On release, the detainee filed a complaint, noting the guards brought “discredit and embarrassment” to the sheriff’s office. The four guards fired for the demeaning act were: Lt. Jason Franjesevic, Sgt. Keri-Lyn Colosimo, Cpl. Emmanuel Nomikos and Deputy Katherine Cantrell.
The second case centered on guard Jovan Hardwick, who was terminated for spraying a mentally ill detainee with Lysol. On August 11, 2025, after workers dropped off food for a detainee who was on suicide watch at the time, Hardwick told the detainee to close the food trap once he finished eating. The man refused, and Hardwick sprayed him in the face with the disinfectant cleaner in retaliation. When the detainee became agitated, Hardwick and other guards charged in to wrestle him to the ground. Hardwick lied about the incident in a later report, claiming that he used a bottle of water to spritz the detainee instead.
“It’s awful that people would treat other human beings like this,” Gualtieri told reporters in a press conference, adding that he felt “disgusted” and “let down.” Despite this condemnation, however, none of the guards are currently facing charges.
Sources: The Tampa Bay Times, Catalyst
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