Criminal charges possible
By Dee Dixon
The Beaumont Enterprise
BEAUMONT, Texas — Criminal charges could be filed in a case involving the Tasering of a man multiple times by two Jefferson County jail staffers, Sheriff Mitch Woods said.
A Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department sergeant and a corrections officer, both men, resigned rather than be terminated. A lieutenant, a woman who was the supervisor on duty at the time of the incident, has been demoted.
The department is looking at its policy to see how the situation could have been handled differently, Woods said.
“My feelings are it was a warranted use of force that resulted in the use of some excessive force toward the end,” Woods said of the December encounter. “He (the prisoner) was combative with the officers and his behavior was irrational and violent.”
Woods did not release the names of those involved because the investigation is continuing. The man was not from this area and deputies now cannot find him.
The district attorney’s office will file whatever charges are applicable, if any, Woods said.
In December, an unidentified man Woods characterized as “a known crystal meth user” was arrested and had become what Woods termed “irrational” and “combative” with corrections officers.
“One minute he was OK and the next minute he was lashing out at everybody around,” Woods said. “He’d be OK and then twist off.”
The inmate fought several different corrections officers throughout the night, with some of the scuffles lasting several minutes, Woods said.
At some point the inmate was no longer a threat but the Taser still was used, Woods said.
“If there’s force that needs to be used, then you need to use it. When you gain control, that use of force needs to stop,” Woods said. “If what you are doing isn’t working, then you need to use something else.”
An internal investigation into the incident was conducted and a seven-member peer disciplinary review board recommended termination for the sergeant and corrections officer and a demotion for the supervising lieutenant, Woods said.
“You rely on supervisors to manage and take control of those situations,” Woods said of the lieutenant.
All had been scheduled to go before a three-member citizen’s review board, which could have reached yet another disciplinary conclusion. Woods could have agreed with it or overruled the decision, but it ceased to be an issue with the resignations.
The sergeant had about 16 years with the department; the corrections officer was a rookie. The lieutenant has been with the department more than 10 years, Woods said.
Woods said the injuries the inmate received were ones a person would receive if they had been in a scuffle.
Deputies deal with people in a variety of situations most people would run from, he said. However, the deputies have to remain professional.
“We sent a message to supervisors that the sheriff doesn’t tolerate that culture here,” Deputy Chief Zena Stephens said.
Copyright 2008 The Beaumont Enterprise