INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Five inmates with murder charges who were caught on camera beating another inmate – also accused of murder – in retaliation for the slaying, now face additional charges, reports show.
Deputies said the five men about 8 a.m. Tuesday walked in the cell of Sherman Shelly, 47, of Gifford, and punched and stomped the man at the Indian River County Jail. The attack was in “retribution” for Shelly’s accused August killing of David Lee Riggins, who the suspects knew, authorities reported.
Shelly is also awaiting trial at the county jail after turning himself in to authorities after the fatal shooting.
The five inmates – identified as Jamal Levon Riggins Jr., 20, of south county, Davalon Brinson, 32, of Gifford, Marcus Dewayne Jones, 19, of St. Lucie County, Jermaine Williamson, 25, and Latravious Rivers, each were charged with battery on a detained person. The age for Rivers and address for Rivers and Williamson were not available.
Deputies learned that the five men went inside Shelly’s cell earlier and attacked him.
Deputies looked at security footage, which showed Shelly bleeding and holding the side of his face after the beating, reports show. The attack lasted about one minute; details on Shelly’s condition were not immediately available.
Deputies then spoke individually with the suspected attackers and charged them.
Background on five inmates
Riggins was indicted on murder charges in July for the fatal April drive-by shooting of Christard Hicks in Gifford. Brinson was indicted August 2017 for the fatal stabbing of a woman that summer at the Vero Green apartment community, reports show.
Rivers and three others were arrested in July on murder charges for the fatal shooting of Samuel Tesci at Countryside at Vero Beach mobile home park, reports show. Williamson was convicted in September on a first-degree murder charge for the fatal Dec. 2016 shooting of Douglas Mitchell Ryan.
Jones and another man were both charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder after an August 2016 shooting in St. Lucie County that left one man dead and another hurt, reports show. It was not immediately known why Jones was being held at the Indian River County Jail.