White supremacist Dylann Roof who was convicted for the mass murder of nine Black people inside of a church feels he’s being targeted and launches a hunger strike to protest prison conditions.
After killing nine black churchgoers in a mass shooting in Charleston, NC, Roof appears to think that he’s a victim of “abuse” inside of the facility.
Charleston County Sheriff's Office Getty Images
According to numerous sources, including NBC, Roof claimed that he’s being “targeted by staff,” “verbally harassed and abused without cause,” and “treated disproportionately harsh.” He sent a letter to AP detailing the alleged treatment by the Bureau Of Prisons disciplinary officer, claiming he wasn't being allowed to access law books from the prison library or get a copy machine to file legal papers.
Roof alleged that the prison staff treats him poorly and justify it because he’s “hated by the general public.” This prompted Roof to go on a hunger strike for “several days,” although sources inside that has ended. The strike was in protest of his treatment in prison but in a letter written to AP, he said that it ended after a guard forcibly attempted to insert an IV into his arm. He said he passed out.
“I feel confident I could have gone much, much longer without food,” he said. “It’s just not worth being murdered over.”
Roof has been sentenced to the death penalty for the crimes he committed. His lawyer filed to appeal the conviction on claims that he was mentally ill at the time he was representing himself in court.