Saturday, 29 May 2021 (YJC) _Eleven employees of a Texas sheriff’s office have been fired and six suspended following the death of an inmate.
Eleven employees of a Texas sheriff’s office have been fired and six suspended following the death of an inmate who was hit multiple times in the head by detention officers, authorities said on Friday.
The Harris county sheriff, Ed Gonzalez, said he was “very upset and heartbroken” after a three-month investigation into the death of Jaquaree Simmons, 23, in February. Medical examiners ruled Simmons’ death a homicide from injuries to his head.
“We have a duty to protect those in our care and that didn’t happen,” Gonzalez said.
A sheriff’s office internal affairs investigation concluded Simmons had three fights with detention officers on 16 February, when the jail had lost power and water pressure during a deadly winter storm.
“These 11 people betrayed my trust and the trust of our community. They abused their authority,” Gonzalez said. “Their conduct toward Mr Simmons was reprehensible.”
The 11 employees who were fired included nine detention officers, one detention sergeant and one deputy. The six suspended included four detention officers, one detention sergeant and one sheriff’s office sergeant. Their suspensions ranged from three to 10 days.
Houston police are conducting a separate criminal investigation. The results will be presented to the Harris county district attorney’s office, which will determine if charges are filed.
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