Deputies: Man accused in church shooting assaulted

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Dylann Roof, the white man charged in the massacre of nine parishioners at a Charleston church, was assaulted Thursday by a black inmate at the SC jail where he is being held, a law official said.

In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Sheriff Al Cannon said Roof was let out at 7:45 a.m.to take a shower, and officers had checked cells in the area to check that they were locked.

Roof faces state and federal charges in the shooting deaths of nine people at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston in June 2015.

” [The] disclosure of video of the internal physical layout and configuration of this particular housing unit could endanger the life and health of both inmates and detention officers due to its objective and the nature of inmates housed therein”, CCSO officials said. He’s now in jail in Charleston County for armed robbery, providing false info to police as well as assault and battery. That didn’t happen on Thursday, however, possibly because one officer was on break and another was busy fetching toilet paper, Cannon said. Initially we were told Stafford would face an assault and battery charge but Roof informed detectives through his attorney that he wll not pursue any criminal charges against Stafford. The deadly attack occurred during a Bible study session at Charleston’s historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17, 2015. Sheriff Cannon stated that charges of assault would be brought against Stafford, but that was quickly changed when Roof stated he would not be pressing charges against the inmate. Stafford is black. Cannon doesn’t believe the guards coordinated to allow the attack but says they will be looking into why Stafford was able to get out of his cell.

“The very least, we have complacency – for police officers and detention officers it is one of the biggest problems we face”, Cannon said. “This certainly serves as a work wake-up call”. The federal government has charged Roof with hate crimes and other offenses. His federal trial is set for November.

Atlanta Black Star reported the attorneys will dismiss the challenge if prosecutors would not consider the death penalty in the case.