24-05-2025
Erie County lawmaker, prisoner rights groups weigh in on use-of-force case
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — An Erie County lawmaker and prison rights groups are weighing in on an alleged use-of-force case that WIVB News 4 shared earlier this week.
Erie County Legislator Taisha St. Jean Tard is leading the charge to reestablish an Erie County Correctional Special Advisory Board that she hopes will increase transparency and provide more oversight and accountability. It's an issue that she has been pursuing since entering office in January.
'When I saw the video, it really made me uncomfortable and sad,' St. Jean Tard said. 'That's one of the reasons why I decided to have this correctional advisory board. This is one of the main reasons, to oversee incidents like this. So, this is why I'm pushing it. I'm really going to have this board ready to go in June because I don't want these incidents to continue.'
The Erie County Sheriff's Office has refuted the allegations in the lawsuit, saying 'the actions taken by staff were in line with policy and procedure.'
News 4 reached out to the Erie County Sheriff's Office Friday, who said 'the pervasive and intentional introduction of contraband to our correctional settings is a top priority for our staff. If we miss something getting in, the results can be catastrophic.'
Cash is now suing Erie County and several of the correctional officers involved in the incident from January of last year which, according to the lawsuit, resulted in a broken tooth that required oral surgery.
'It is just beyond the pale,' said Steven Hart, an organizer with the Western New York Halt Solidarity Campaign. 'It is so unacceptable and so unnecessary, so gratuitous what was done to him.'
Hart feels the officer who pried Cash's mouth open with the flashlight should be disciplined.
'I do think that firing would be appropriate,' Hart said. 'That we shouldn't tolerate behavior like that within a jail or prison.'
That's a sentiment that's shared by Jerome Wright, co-director of the New York State Jails Justice Network, who's been through something similar. He told us how incidents like this can have a ripple effect when it comes time for that person to reenter society.
'This is what we're sending back to the streets,' Wright said. 'That's not public safety. How are you making the public safe by traumatizing people, brutalizing them and then sending them out? How is that making you safe?'
That's why Hart believes it's imperative that accountability and oversight are a priority moving forward.
'I think we have to address not just how bad this event was, but what the root cause is,' Hart said. 'Which is the lack of oversight, of transparency, of accountability in our … prisons and jails in New York State.'
Rob Petree is an anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in 2025. See more of his work by clicking here.
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