PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla . — Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced the termination of five corrections deputies following two separate and unrelated incidents of misconduct at the Pinellas County Jail, calling the behavior “disgusted” and “awful.”

The five deputies—one deputy involved in a use-of-force violation and four supervisory and corrections staff involved in the humiliation of an inmate—have all been fired for violating Sheriff’s Office policy.

Deputy Sprays Inmate with Lysol

The first incident occurred on August 11, 2025, involving Deputy Jovan Hardwick, who was supervising an inmate housing unit in the Healthcare Building. An inmate with mental health conditions refused to remove their arms from the cell door’s food trap.

According to Gualtieri, Deputy Hardwick respond

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