Following the assault of Charleston shooter Dylann Roof by a fellow Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center inmate Thursday, a page has been set up for those wishing to donate money to the assailant's commissary funds account. Dwayne Stafford, according to an incident report, managed to escape his cell just long enough to allegedly leave Roof with bruises to his face and back before officers broke up the fight. As reported by Mic, news of Stafford's alleged assault was met with tweets about dropping money into his account, tweets that were apparently noticed by Taking a Stand Against Discrimination (TASAD).
TASAD is described as a website built to "highlight something anyone can do to speak out against discrimination by providing you the tools to directly address it." Shortly after news of Stafford's alleged assault, a page appeared on the TASAD site with a direct link for those wishing to donate money. The site also lists Stafford's Detention Center mailing address.
"It seems to me, pretty obvious at this point, that at the very least, we have complacency," Sheriff Cannon told the Post and Courier during a press conference Thursday, adding that officers falling victim to "routine" had contributed to Stafford breaking free and assaulting Roof. "We do things day in, day out, and they become routine, and as a result of that, it's sometimes easy to become complacent. This certainly serves as a work wake-up call."
Roof was charged in the killings of 9 black bible study attendees at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17 of last year. He faces the death penalty in his federal trial, currently set for November. Prosecutors have argued that Roof planned the attack months in advance, specifically targeting the historically black church to initiate a "race war."
