Ten LA County Jail employees were reported to have been relieved of duty amid further investigation following a complaint from an inmate who was allegedly “restrained” for 32 hours. Sheriff Jim McDonnell reported Saturday that these officers were currently on leave and the replacements were already reassigned. He added that the alleged officers were accused of mistreating and abusing inmates.
According to the sheriff’s department, officers relieved off their duty on Friday are two lieutenants, a sergeant, a senior deputy, four deputies and two custody assistants.
Sheriff Jim McDonnell was elected to his position last year and his previous conducts follows numerous scandals at the department’s jails. In recent times, the department have been getting increased enquiries of detention facilities that ranks as the country’s biggest jail system, comprising almost 20,000 inmates.
The investigation into the newest suspected misconduct commenced with a complaint filed by an inmate on June 27. He filed it exactly eight days after being booked.
According to the sheriff’s department statement, it seemed that once the male inmate allegedly assaulted a female sheriff’s deputy, he was eventually restrained in handcuffs for approximately 32 hours. During his restraining hours, the inmate was denied his daily meals and given only a cup of water. However, the department claimed that the inmate was provided with medical services during his restraining hours.
McDonnell expressed in his statement that the investigation on the accusations of the inmate is ongoing and will be conducted thoroughly. McDonnell started his duty on a reform mandate last year relating to the prevalent reports of inmate abuses.
His announcement was released less than a month after three sheriff’s deputies were charged of beating a handcuffed inmate and then refused to admit it in order to avoid any allegations. The particular case was the outcome of a wide-ranging FBI probe in the all the prisons of the county.
The sheriff’s declaration about the latest inmate abuse allegations was released at 7 p.m. Saturday. Department officials refused to provide any information on the inmate’s name, age and reason for being booked at the Inmate Reception Center.
