Some sheriff's deputies have physically abused inmates inside the elevators at the Milwaukee County Jail, a sheriff's deputy testified Tuesday in Federal Court.
Michael J. Krzoska, a defendant in a lawsuit filed by former Inmate Eugene E. Glover Jr., said that, to some deputies and inmates, the term "elevator ride" is synonymous with physical abuse of inmates.
"My understanding (of the term) is to take an inmate in the elevator, rough him up on the distance that the elevator is traveling, and remove him," Krzoska said.
Krzoska said he had seen other deputies use more force than necessary when handling inmates, including striking inmates and knocking them onto desks and elevator walls.
Krzoska said that a co-defendant, Deputy Robert Hillman, had occasionally struck inmates with more force than necessary after Hillman had been struck by the inmates.
Glover's lawyer, John C. Cabaniss, read into the record testimony from a deposition in which Krzoska said a third co- defendant, Deputy Gregory Kupczyk, a jogger, had once kicked an inmate so hard that he hurt his shin and was unable to run for a period of time.
However, Krzoska testified Tuesday that he had no personal knowledge of the alleged kicking incident.
In 1980, Glover filed a lawsuit stemming from a beating he says he received in the County Jail from the three sheriffs deputies Dec. 7, 1978.
Glover, who is black, alleges in the complaint that the beating was racially motivated.
Glover testified Monday that he had become involved in a quarrel with Kupczyk after Kupczyk told him to quit speaking to a female inmate on another floor at the jail through the jail's ventilator system.
Glover accuses Kupczyk, Hillman and Krzoska of beating him in his cell and taking him to an elevator where they resumed the beating.
Krzoska on Tuesday denied entering Glover's cell. Glover testified that, at one point in the alleged beating. Kupczyk said he would fix Glover so he would not be in jail again for non-support and kicked him in the groin.
Glover also testified that, although he began to pass blood in his urine, he was not hospitalized until three days after the alleged beating.
Sgt. Lloyd Schadler, who was administrative sergeant at the jail at the time, testified that he had talked to Glover within three days of the alleged incident.
"At the time I could see no physical marks or other types of things that would lead me to initiate an investigation," Schadler said.
Sheriff's Department Inspector Ronald Bollhoffer testified that he was not aware of any written policies concerning the use of force against inmates in the jail. But he said it would not be proper for a deputy to strike an inmate unless the deputy was defending his life.
Robert DiGrazia, an expert in police administration, testified on Glover's behalf Wednesday that he had reviewed incident reports relating to other alleged beatings at the County Jail.
DeGrazia said he concluded that deputies had used excessive force in the Sept.25, 1977 beating of former inmate Lonnie Kent. Former Deputy Sheriff Frank Idzikowski pleaded no contest to a charge of battery and agreed to resign from the Sheriff's Department as a result of the beating, according to court records.
DeGrazia said that other complaints of alleged beatings had not been sufficiently investigated to ascertain whether there had been use of excessive force.
DeGrazia also said the Sheriff's Department should institute an Internal affairs unit to investigate such complaints
Kupczyk and Hillman will have no comment while the case is pending, a Sheriff's, Department spokesman said.
Milwaukee County Sheriff Richard E. Artison, who took over the post Sept. 6, also declined to comment on the case Wednesday.
In addition to the three deputies, former Milwaukee County Sheriff Michael Wolke is named as a co-defendant. The suit seeks $9OO,OOO in damages.