See the photos: Florida inmate twists handcuff off
FILE - Side by side image of damaged handcuffs after inmate twists off one of the cuffs during a "mental health" incident. (Credit: Martin County Sheriff's Office)
Photos shared by a Florida sheriff’s office showcased the unpredictability of some inmates and the parts that the public doesn’t see when it comes to working in law enforcement.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office shared photos of a pair of handcuffs that were twisted after an inmate used their sheer strength to mangle the hardware.
What they're saying:
"The inmate was able to force one cuff off through sheer strength and unpredictability – a reminder of the challenges our corrections deputies face every day," a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office account read.
Dig deeper:
The inmate was experiencing mental health issues at the time but deputies were able to respond quickly to restrain them.
No one was injured.
Moments of "hysterical strength"
Some people who may be experiencing a fight or flight response in certain high-stress situations can showcase moments of "hysterical strength."
These are moments when humans experience sudden and almost nonhuman surges of strength, according to Psychology Today.
Though this is not a deeply researched health phenomenon, we’ve seen it in the wild.
Big picture view:
In 2019, 16-year-old Zac Clark, a football player in Ohio, lifted a car off his neighbor.
In 2013, two teenage girls managed to lift a 3,000-pound tractor off their father in Lebanon, Oregon.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from a Facebook post published by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office on March 4, 2026. This story was reported from San Jose.