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 responded by retrieving a can of Lysol from his personal backpack and spraying the inmate in the face through the open food trap. He then reportedly slammed the can onto the inmate’s hands.
The investigation revealed that Deputy Hardwick lied multiple times about the events, contradicting video evidence of the incident. Deputy Hardwick had been with the Sheriff’s Office since June 5, 2006, and his termination was effective on October 28, 2025.
Inmate Humiliation and Photography
The second incident, which took place on May 15, 2025, involved Lieutenant Jason Franjesevic, Sergeant Keri-Lyn Colosimo, Corporal Emmanuel Nomikos, and Deputy Katherine Cantrell, all working in the jail’s booking area.
A female inmate, arrested for disorderly conduct, was wrongfully deemed uncooperative and placed in a cell with no toilet while handcuffed and shackled, after having been held in a transport van without a restroom for three hours. The inmate was forced to urinate on the floor drain, and due to being restrained, she exposed her buttocks and genital area while attempting to pull up her uniform pants.
It was at this time that Deputy Cantrell used her personal cellphone to take a photo of the exposed inmate.
The photo was then sent to multiple people, including Sergeant Colosimo, displayed on a booking computer by Corporal Nomikos, and a printed copy was shown to the inmate by Lieutenant Franjesevic. The Sheriff reported that all parties involved were making disrespectful and derogatory remarks and laughing about the situation.
Lieutenant Franjesevic, Sergeant Colosimo, Corporal Nomikos, and Deputy Cantrell were all terminated, effective today, October 29, 2025.
“I’m disgusted and let down. It’s awful that people would treat other human beings like this,” said Sheriff Gualtieri. “We have a responsibility to treat people fairly and with respect and dignity, regardless of what they’ve done. All five of these deputies, by what they chose to do, have forfeited their right to serve as deputy sheriffs and work for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.”
READ :Toy Gun Found: Wesley Chapel High Cleared After Weapon Scare, Normal Operations Resume
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
