Six inmates accused of Caddo County jail beatdown

ANADARKO — Six Caddo County jail inmates have been charged with beating another inmate that left him with facial fractures.

On June 6, detention officers were passing out dinner when a report of a fight in I-POD came out. When they arrived, the fight was breaking up and two inmates were put into lockdown, Caddo County Sheriff’s Deputy Ricardo Gutierrez stated. Things calmed down and officers began passing out food and medications again.

However, about 20 minutes later, inmates Vernon Nelson Butler, Robin Damon Longhat, Tyler Stephen Cuccias, Shaun Michael Tillman, Charles Whitwolf and Michael Ruban Brown were seen fighting an inmate, the warrant affidavit states.

Security video showed multiple inmates gather around a bunk on the I-POD lower level before moving a mat next to the door. Next, they carried clear, filled trash bags and stacked them on the mat, apparently to impede officers opening the door.

The six named inmates were then seen returning to the bunk, surrounding it and throwing punches and kicking while dragging the injured inmate across the floor toward the exit, according to the affidavit. When detention officers arrived, the inmates threw the bats and mats out of the pod and into the hallway, Gutierrez stated.

The fight stopped and officers moved the inmate into a cell in another pod. Later, inmates alerted officers the inmate was throwing up blood. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation and was later transferred to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City. Doctors later told investigators the inmate had suffered multiple facial fractures.

On Tuesday, aggravated assault and battery charges were filed in Caddo County District Court against Butler, 33; Longhat, 28; Cuccias, 25; Tillman, 30; Whitewolf, 26; and Brown, 39, records indicate.