In early April Kevin Harris, a resident of Bacher Street in Bunnell, was found guilty in Volusia County circuit court on five charges after pleading no contest to cocaine and marijuana possession, among others.
He was sentenced to 270 days in jail in Volusia, where he’s faced many previous charges, as he has in Flagler: in 2010, he was charged with attempted murder and felony battery following a violent confrontation in Bunnell. The attempted murder charge was dropped. Harris, 25, was found guilty on the battery charge and sentenced to three years’ probation, with the term starting in April 2012. He’s violated probation with his re-arrest in early March—just one month before his probation was to expire—and that 2010 case is now open again in Flagler.
That required court appearances before Judge J. David Walsh at the Flagler Courthouse, so on April 6, Walsh signed an order to have Harris transported from the Volusia jail to the Flagler county jail. Harris was booked in the afternoon of on April 22. He is due to be sentenced on the probation violation on July 15.
But he now faces a new felony charge. On Monday evening, according to an arrest report, he allegedly attacked fellow-inmate Anthony M. Petrillo. Surveillance video shows Harris striking Petrillo, 24, first with an open hand on the left side of Petrillo’s head. As Petrillo tries to retreat, Harris, according to his arrest report, “can be seen grabbing Mr. Petrillo by the shoulder, turning him, so that both he and Mr. Petrillo are face to face, and then striking Mr. Petrillo on the right side of the face with a closed fist.”
Petrillo was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler for treatment, receiving 12 stitches for a cut lip and a lacerated face.
Earlier in the day, Petrillo told the deputy investigating the case, Harris allegedly called Petrillo a “police ass cracker.”
Petrillo is in jail on charges of domestic battery by strangulation and false imprisonment, and on a probation violation charge: three years ago he was charged with battery on a cop, resisting arrest with violence and two additional counts of battery. He was found guilty on the resisting charge and sentenced to three years’ probation. That probation term was to end in November.
Battery on a detained person is a third-degree felony.
Richard says
Florida needs to implement three strikes and your out (or rather in prison for the rest of your life). Also, maybe follow California’s lead and segregate prisoners by race. That would cut down on some of the fights in prison.
Anonymous says
Obviously, Harris needs to be re-located to another jail in another state where he will not be in any close contact whatsoever with his gang members/contacts. He could be doing their work on the inside, just as he might have been on the outside.
Nancy N says
You watch too much TV. Inmate on inmate violence is common and rarely has anything to do with the world outside the detention center walls. Cram a lot of people, many of whom have problems with impulse control and are prone to violence, into a miserable, stressful confined space and conflicts inevitably erupt especially when inmates spend most of the day bored and need to prove they are still men even though they are locked up and being ordered around by guards. It’s that simple.
Outsider says
I wonder if he will be charges with a hate crime. Hahah! Not!
Anonymity says
Actually inmate on inmate violence in jails does not come often, nor from just being miserable and stressed. You are thinking of prison. When jail fights erupt, they are due to outside conflicts with one another. When the two enemies get locked up in the same block together, they cannot run anywhere. That is when the “beef” or “conflict” gets handled in violent ways. No escape = opportunities….
As for segregation, some counties still segregate. If I’m not mistaking volusia is still segregated. Atleast it used to be…
getwithit says
Yes it is common but in jail or prison they put out hits. DUH. and I do wish that the inmates could be protected from others but its not ever going to happen just like its not going to happen on the outside. What to do What to do.
Anonymous says
Nancy N–You have no experience dealing with sociopaths, that’s clear. Turn on the TV and see how loosening up restrictions at correctional institutions can backfire. Harris had a thing for this guy for some reason–or people he was associating with did– and he was going to take advantage of any opportunity that presented itself to do whatever he could manage to get away with doing to “express” his displeasure.
Michael says
No, it is this simple, animals acting like animals, conversation over, You always seem to be an expert on criminals, jails and sentencing, have you ever been to prison. As a family member of someone who was a corrections officer in one of the largest prisons in the NE I can tell you boredom does not cause it. Not saying every inmate is an animal but most are, that is why they are there, They cannot control emotion, do not care about others, they need to be put into cells and left to their own demise. I am sick of people like you always defending convicts, we did not put them in prison, they entered by breaking the law,. So stop with the “poor convict nonsense” and realize they are in there because most are animals who deserve to be caged.
GT says
I think Nancy N would change her tune if one of these animals broke into her house or hurt one of her kids.
hank says
Another 6 months in jail and a years probation added to this “persons” sentence. That’s the only good news about this story. I’m glad he hit him..
Nancy N says
Oh, being the “family member of an officer” makes you an expert? Well, last I heard, officers’ family members weren’t allowed inside the gate. On the other hand, I’ve spent hundreds of hours inside the gate of state prisons in this state. I’ve met the people you only hear cartoonish stories about from your loved one.
My statements were not intended to create sympathy. It was factual, the state of reality of life in custody. It’s boring, very uncomfortable, crowded, and filled with people with no impulse control and who have violent tendencies. Just because I used fairly clinical language doesn’t mean I’m trying to garner sympathy.
In fact, you seem to be a person that believes being locked up should be miserable and yet when I describe it as such you accuse me of trying to be sympathetic. You can’t have it both ways – either it’s miserable, or it’s not. Which do you want?
I’m tired of hearing people like you describe convicts as “animals”. You have a very skewed view of who is locked up. A large portion of our state’s inmates are in on non-violent offenses, and over three-quarters of the state’s inmates will get out one day. They will be walking the street WITH YOU. It is short-sighted to say the least to treat someone like an animal for years and then expect them to act like a productive member of society. It’s in everyone’s future best interest for society to figure out a way to try to make these people into better citizens before they start living among us again. The way we have isn’t working – we have the statistics to prove it.
I’m not apologizing for convicts. I’ve met some terrifying people that I would never want to encounter on the street. I hope they stay right where they are. But I’ve also met some decent people who are on a path to get out but totally unprepared for life after prison because they lack life skills, resources, education, and job skills. Preparing those people to transition successfully and become productive parts of society is important for all of us. It makes us safer, and it saves us money too because they will be paying taxes instead of living off of them.
Nancy N says
Oh I’ve met a few sociopaths and have a very healthy respect for their ability to manipulate people. Keep a wide berth around those people, for sure!
I’ve been watching the news on the escape of the two killers in the NE. Heads need to roll in NY. You obviously don’t know me at all, or you would know that one of my pet peeves is officers that supply contraband to inmates. I’m in favor of prison reform, not a free for all!
Omega says
Better hope the electric grid in the USA doesn’t go down for a year or more. Every inmate in every prison will be on the loose. No Army could control that many criminals. Last Sunday another massive Solar flare hit the earth. This one did serious damage to the grid but was controlled thankfully. Next time we will not be that lucky…Prepare !!!
ohrin says
1 strike if you ask me.
nomad says
I wish people would stop calling these folks “animals.” They’re not! Animals are much nicer, kinder and compassionate even with their tiny pea brains and “uncivilized” behavior. Animals – especially dogs, cats, monkeys, and a great many others – are much nicer than most humans. I like animals more than I like humans and if that makes me an animal then thanks for the compliment. But please, stop with the insult on animals.
Regular Guy says
Nancy N is speaking the truth. FACTS. Not some biased idiotic opinion based on exaggerated horror stories from a guard. Most of you people watch too much TV.
Regular Guy says
Nope you’re wrong volusia county jail is not segregated by race lol and you’re also wrong about the fights. Sure fights can start in jail by two people with problems from the outside seeing each other. But the majority are from being frustrated with their environment. That not just in prison. Remember people can sit in the county months even years fighting their cases.
Jen says
I am not quite sure how many people have actually been behind the walls of a jail before but most of the inmates I deal with are ready to go to prison from county because we are more strict. However, in any situation tempers are going to fly when you have so many personalities in one area most of the fights I have seen are about stealing food from someone, woman, just plain talking crap, gambling away canteen that can’t be paid up or gambling away a food tray that the inmate intended to keep!! Interesting to me to see the comments on this one!! Sounds to me like a whole lot of people think they know because of tv but really should try learning something and keeping comments to their selves about subjects they don’t know about. Very seldom do we run into situations from outside retaliation and hits from gang activity well we aren’t really dealing with 1950’s mafia here people but can it happen I’m sure it does happen maybe in larger cities. Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns, and Putnam not so much. Since, inmates are not segregated by color they are using segregated by a point system depending on the facility.
youdontseeme says
Apparently the “police ass cracker” was a snitch & racism exists inside and outside jail walls. Fights happen everywhere in America. But the comments from nancy are on point. I think you people making it out to be bigger than it is. Because in flagler county this is ” headlining news!” Lol
momma says
First off Kevin Harris isn’t an animal, he is a human being..my so..who was defending his mother at Tha age of 19, from an abusive relationship. .that was his first charge, never has he been violent until someone hits him first, never should you read into something and assume anything….yes he did go to prison for drug’s. ..sometimes you do what you do when you think it’s right. Never would I uphold my son in his wrong foings..but I try and support him mentally and emotionally. .always..always ah single mother of 5 children. I try and install values into them…they are individual’s they tend to make mistakes…. so when he went back to jail this was his choice. ..I pray for my son always..he was fighting in jail. .yes he was but they never tell Tha truth about how fights start..the one that get hurt is the one they pitted…they never said how they have statements for other inmates about how it all started and who hit who first and what was really said..so for the one comment that stated will they do hate crime. It better go both ways cause belive me he called Kevin ah nigger! So you AL wait and see just what’s going to happen. .I know I will…momma..be blessed and have ah nice day everyone. ..
anonymous says
Aint no snitch known for years lol that aint the whole atory. Alway been a race war in jail n prison