Video Shows Healthcare Staff Punching, Beating Disabled Man with Belt

The family of a mentally disabled Georgia man has released video showing their loved one being repeatedly beaten by staff hired to care for him.

Brian Jarrad, the family’s attorney, said the family wanted to release video of the 2013 incident now to warn the public that neglect is happening at facilities all across Georgia.

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The Macon attorney represents 55-year-old Joey Cason. When Cason’s family could no longer care for him, they admitted him into Total Care, a facility in Gordan, Georgia, licensed to care for the developmentally disabled.

“Physically, he is not disabled. He is able to function physically, but he is severely mentally disabled,” explained Jarrard.

Surveillance video recorded on November 7, 2013 shows staff repeatedly hitting Cason with belts, punching him on the ground and allowing other residents to hit him.

At one point, staff appears to be taunting Cason with food and laughing at him.

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Gordon Police charged a caretaker named Shakia Smith with battery and abuse/neglect of an elder person.

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The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities revoked the facility’s license after an investigation.

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