CHARLESTON, W.Va.—- A former correctional officer at the Southern Regional Jail admitted to his role in the March 2022 beating death of pre-trial defendant Quantez Burks.
Jonathan Walters, 33, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy against rights resulting in bodily injury or death.
Walters entered a binding plea agreement where the court ultimately accepts the plea.
According to evidence presented in federal court, multiple officers responded to a call March 1, 2022, after Burks tried to push past officers in order to leave C-pod, a housing unit for inmates. They then took him to an interview room, a blind spot, because there were no surveillance cameras. Walters arrived at the room a minute after Burks and the other officers did. Attorneys said Burks was restrained, handcuffed and did not pose a threat to anyone.
After Burks was taken to A-pod, another blind spot, he went limp, and multiple officers had to carry him to the next interview room. Walters carried him with one arm and told Judge Goodwin that after arriving to A-pod, he swung Burks forward, hitting his head against the metal door frame and when the officers got him inside the room, they dropped him face down on the concrete floor, where they continued to beat him. He became unresponsive while in A-pod.
Burks, 37, had only been in jail 24 hours. He had been arrested Feb. 28, 2022, and charged with wanton endangerment and obstructing an officer, allegations related to discharging a firearm at his home during an argument.
Quantez Burks mother, Kimberly Burks spoke after the hearing in front of the Byrd Federal Courthouse in Charleston. She said listening to the former officers describe what happened is hard.
“It’ heartbreaking because you have one person who did so much, even after dying, they still continued to beat him and smash his hands and all of that stuff; it is never okay,” she said.
Kimberly Burks also said that the officers will have to live with what they did.
“They have to live with themselves on what they did to my son and anybody else in them jails that they done beat on,” Burks said.
Walters faces up to 30 years in prison. Latasha Williams, Quantez’s fiancé said that although the family is satisfied with the plea agreement, she and Kimberly believe more punishment for the guards would have been appropriate.
“Even though it could have been more, but we’re satisfied with it, more than satisfied, and hopefully they ‘ll learn to keep their hands to themselves,” Williams said outside the courthouse.
Walters is scheduled to be sentenced on February 5.
Corey Snyder, another former correctional officer, is up next for a plea hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday in front of Judge Goodwin.
And after Snyder’s hearing, that leaves Chad Lester, a former lieutenant, still facing a trial currently scheduled for Dec. 10. Lester has been charged with covering up the use of unlawful force.