A former Golden Grove inmate has sued the V.I. Government and several Bureau of Corrections officials, alleging that a correctional officer deliberately placed him in a recreation yard with three inmates she knew intended to harm him, then stood by as the men brutally beat him with objects.
In a complaint filed in V.I. Superior Court on St. Croix, Donnie Heywood Jr. names the Government of the Virgin Islands through the Bureau of Corrections, BOC Director Wynnie Testamark, former Assistant Warden Omar Samuel and correctional officer Tyiesha Benjamin-Samuel as defendants. The lawsuit identifies Samuel and Benjamin-Samuel as husband and wife.
According to the complaint, Heywood was incarcerated at the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility, now known as the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility, when the alleged attack occurred on November 28, 2025.
Heywood alleges that Benjamin-Samuel “purposefully and with premeditation” directed him to the recreation yard while simultaneously allowing three “dangerous inmates from a different unit” into the same area. The lawsuit claims Benjamin-Samuel knew the inmates intended to harm Heywood and facilitated the attack.
The three inmates then brutally beat Heywood with objects in Benjamin-Samuel’s presence, according to the complaint. The lawsuit further alleges that she took no action to stop the assault after enabling it.
Corrections officials knew Heywood had previously suffered a traumatic brain injury, the complaint alleges, placing him at heightened risk of “serious harm or death” if struck in the head. Heywood contends the assault caused serious physical injuries and aggravated that pre-existing brain injury, along with causing pain and suffering, mental anguish and medical expenses.
The complaint further alleges that Benjamin-Samuel “has a history of engaging in or permitting improper conduct” toward Heywood and other inmates. It contends that BOC and Testamark knew or should have known she was unfit to serve as a correctional officer but failed to take corrective action and continued to employ her.
Three days after the alleged assault, on December 1, Heywood’s representatives notified corrections officials about what had occurred and asked them to secure video and other evidence and investigate the incident. According to the lawsuit, BOC and Testamark acknowledged the information and evidence-preservation request on December 9 and agreed to provide Heywood’s counsel with a report.
After counsel sought an update on December 18, BOC and Testamark responded the following day that the investigation remained ongoing, the complaint says.
By February 11, Heywood’s attorneys were again contacting corrections officials, this time raising concerns over the failure to produce surveillance footage and the fact that Benjamin-Samuel had not been placed on administrative leave. On February 23, according to the complaint, Testamark said the surveillance footage was confidential and that any eventual release would be subject to redaction.
The lawsuit also describes an attempt by Heywood’s mother to make a formal complaint to BOC Internal Affairs. Samuel, who was Benjamin-Samuel’s direct supervisor at the time, allegedly refused to accept the complaint because the correctional officer was his wife.
Heywood contends that Samuel's refusal amounted to an abuse of his supervisory authority that obstructed the internal investigation and shielded Benjamin-Samuel from accountability. The lawsuit similarly accuses Testamark of failing to adequately supervise correctional staff, failing to place Benjamin-Samuel on administrative leave following the attack, failing to timely produce the surveillance footage and failing to conduct a meaningful investigation.
The complaint contains four counts. The first accuses the V.I. Government, BOC and Testamark of negligent hiring, training and retention. The second alleges an intentional tort described as assault by facilitation against Benjamin-Samuel. The third accuses Testamark and Samuel of negligent supervision and obstruction of the internal complaint process.
The fourth count brings civil-rights claims under 42 U.S.C. §1983 against Testamark, Benjamin-Samuel and Samuel in their individual capacities. Heywood alleges Benjamin-Samuel violated his Eighth Amendment protections by deliberately facilitating the assault despite knowing about his traumatic brain injury, while Testamark allegedly displayed deliberate indifference to the risk of harm. Samuel is accused of violating Heywood’s Eighth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment due-process rights through his alleged obstruction of the Internal Affairs complaint.
The lawsuit argues that the conduct of the three officials went beyond negligence and reflected a “conscious disregard” for Heywood’s constitutional rights.
Through attorney Lee Rohn, Heywood is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for his physical injuries, aggravation of his traumatic brain injury, pain and suffering, mental anguish, medical expenses, loss of enjoyment of life and other alleged damages. He is also seeking pre- and post-judgment interest, costs and attorney's fees.
The lawsuit additionally asks the court to order the defendants to preserve all surveillance footage and other evidence related to the November 28 attack. Heywood has demanded a jury trial.
As of press time, none of the named defendants had filed a response to the complaint.
