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D.A. investigating inmate injuries, refuses release of memo
March 31st, 2008, 5:28 pm · 24 Comments · posted by PEGGY LOWE
The D.A.’s office is investigating the restraint of and use of a Taser on an inmate that lead to his hospitalization, an incident the office is trying to keep under wraps while it conducts the probe.
Updating my earlier post, D.A. spokeswoman Susan Schroeder confirmed the investigation, and also the office’s request that the Sheriff’s Department refrain from releasing any information about the incident. That includes a memo acting Sheriff Jack Anderson sent to the five members of the Board of Supervisors today.
D.A. investigators are still interviewing witnesses and don’t want any public statements released from the Sheriff’s Department, Schroeder said.
“We want to make sure the statements are accurate and we don’t want to do anything to jeopardize our investigation,” she said.
Seems the D.A.’s office also told the county lawyers the same thing, and that office is complying with the request. So much for all that transparency business everyone’s been talking about.
Nicole Sims, a deputy county counsel, told me late today that the D.A.’s office “did not want the memo made public at this time.” I argued that once Anderson sent the memo to the supervisors, it was a public document and I should get a copy. She said there would be no more comment out of the office.
John McDonald, a spokesman over at the Sheriff’s Department, directed all inquires to the D.A.’s office. He also suggested doing a public records request.
From what I understand, Anderson’s memo says that a prisoner in the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana was being administered some medication by a nurse March 25 when he attacked, injuring the nurse’s arm. After spitting on the guards, the inmate was restrained and shot with a Taser, then stopped breathing.
The prisoner was revived, but tests in the following days showed complications and his next of kin were notified.
“Transparency is of great importance,” Anderson’s memo says.
The memo also says that the incident will be investigated by jail watchdog Michael Gennaco, who was recently hired by Anderson to review jail policies in the wake of the John Chamberlain beating death and grand jury investigation. Gennaco is currently the head of the Los Angeles Office of Independent Review, a model the Orange County supes recently used to institute its own such agency.
March 31st, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Doesn’t anyone wonder why a confidential memo was leaked to Peggy Lowe in no time flat. If Sheriff Anderson is giving the Supes the heads up then why do they turn around and leak it to the press? It sure seems like many are content to tear OCSD down whenever possible. The supes complain if they aren’t kept in the loop but as soon as they have anything confidential, it is immediately in the hands of the press. Why doesn’t someone investigate the Supes and find out who is leaking confidential information.
It’s not like the public/press wouldn’t have found out soon, but come on people, let the family of the injured inmate have some uninterrupted time to deal with this without the press crawling all over them. This is people’s lives, not fodder for entertainment.
Lowe’s comment “so much for transparency” is so lame. You for one should know that the incident is being investigated. What makes you think you should be entitled to all of the details before those who are working the case? That’s the difference between law enforcement and bad journalism. We gather all the facts before we present them. Maybe you should try that for once.
March 31st, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Isn’t it a crime to leak confidential information to the press? Why would someone do it? What is their motivation?
Doesn’t anyone wonder why a confidential memo was leaked to Peggy Lowe in no time flat. If Sheriff Anderson is giving the Supes the heads up then why do they turn around and leak it to the press? It sure seems like many are content to tear OCSD down whenever possible. The supes complain if they aren’t kept in the loop but as soon as they have anything confidential, it is immediately in the hands of the press. Why doesn’t someone investigate the Supes and find out who is leaking confidential information.
It’s not like the public/press wouldn’t have found out soon, but come on people, let the family of the injured inmate have some uninterrupted time to deal with this without the press crawling all over them. This is people’s lives, not fodder for entertainment.
Lowe’s comment “so much for transparency” is so lame. You for one should know that the incident is being investigated. What makes you think you should be entitled to all of the details before those who are working the case? That’s the difference between law enforcement and bad journalism. We gather all the facts before we present them. Maybe you should try that for once.
March 31st, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Isn’t it a crime to leak confidential information to the press? Why would someone do it? What is their motivation?
It sure seems like someone should investigate that as well. The press was going to get the story soon anyway but why did one of the Supes decide it should be leaked before the investigation of the incident was completed?
D.A. or the other innocent Supes, please look into this breach of security.
April 1st, 2008 at 6:45 am
loyal; Why are you getting your panties in a twist? Were you involved? They didn’t release the inmates or deputies names so what what’s the big deal. Typical OCSD. secrets upon secrets.
April 1st, 2008 at 7:22 am
Seems to me that the real issue should be that he attacked an innocent nurse just doing her job. Lets look into that.
April 1st, 2008 at 8:19 am
Even after the Chamberlain fiasco the system we have set up in Orange County to investigate police misconduct is a joke. Now the BOS has created something called the Office of Independent Review (OIR) It is an office composed of attorneys who are appointed based on the recommendations of those (DA, OCSD, Probation) who the OIR is supposed to oversee. And the OIR has no teeth. Not even the power to subpeona! The OIR will depend totally upon the voluntary cooperation of the OCSD! haha. So for over a MILLION dollars a year the citizens of Orange County have another office of highly paid bureaucrats who will get absolutely nothing done! Do you think this Michael Gennaco fella is being welcomed with open arms by the DA investigators? Come on. What do you expect him to accomplish? The DA investigators are all former cops. Who do you think they are going to protect? The DA’s office is merely another arm of the OCSD! The entire system is designed to encourage corruption! Not one civilian on the OIR! We can’t even monitor the progress of the office! And we’re paying over a million bucks a year to fund it!
April 1st, 2008 at 8:54 am
Lets look at the tape.
Forget about first adopting a another commission, install a camera in every place where a prisoners are. Have a commision that will review the tapes for proper conduct and then discipline officers not doing their job, by watching tv, instead of doing their job.
Isn’t always said that having a video recorded protecting everyone!
April 1st, 2008 at 10:56 am
CARONA AND ALL YOUR COHORTS SHOULD GO TO HELL. THE CORRUPT SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT AND THE OFFICERS ARE BEHIND THIS. WHEN ARE THE CITIZENS OF ORANGE COUNTY GOING TO PUT A STOP TO THE INJUSTICE IN THIS COUNTY. JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED FOR THE INMATE AND ALL FAMILY MEMBERS.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:22 am
More and more it seems like the OC Sherif’s department should review its procedures for handling prisoners very thoroughly. It’s quite obvious that is using it’s guns when use isn’t warranted. Just because stun guns are available to the deputies does not mean they should be used every time a person (prisoner or otherwise) needs restraining. It seems to me that if the person was cuffed, use of the gun would not be necessary. If the person isn’t lying still after being cuffed, let them squirm. They’ll exhaust themselves in due course. No need for guns anywhere. The question is therefore really, why was this prisoner not cuffed in the presence of the nurse? Seems like THAT’s what should have been the case. If he wasn’t restrained already, it’s negligence on the part of the deputies.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:35 am
HE WAS CUFFED!!!! There was no need for the use of a stun gun or any other type of force. Most importantly..tell me why an inmate that is cuffed, and stunned is then BEAT TO A PULP. Not one person has described his injuries other than a coma. Well, the only one who knows the truth are the officers and family. There is more to this than all of you know and it will come out in the near future. Loyal..you seem to have alot to say about a leak of information… what is your motive? Trying to hide something??
April 1st, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Just a question…How does anyone know that the word ‘restrained’ necessarily means that the inmate was CUFFED? A person can be physically restrained just by holding onto his arms. The point is, maybe we should wait and read facts before making assumptions.
April 1st, 2008 at 12:48 pm
To fedupwithoc
Do you have some information that nobody else has? You say he was cuffed in big capital letters, how do you know? I don’t see anywhere in this article that said the guy was cuffed.
April 1st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Do you think seriously cameras are the answer? An unarmed war hero, home on leave was shot by a San Bernardino Sheriffs Deputy and he got away with it! No cameras are not the answer it’s the entire Corrupt Cop Culture thats at fault, change the corrupt culture you will change the thinking for the most part anyway. The problem is that we still hire a bunch of dogs for cops that love beating and injuring people.
April 1st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
SoCalMom: What I can say…is that you might want to watch the news later. You are either one of two people asking me these questions and I have alot of information to feed to the feds.
April 1st, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Well fedupwithoc,
All I can say is….Perhaps you don’t know everything. Might want to give ‘the feds” accurate information.
Can you imagine every one of the thousands of inmates at the OC jail having to be handcuffed to get their medication from the nurse. Wow would that be time consuming. I’m guessing that the nurse probably just goes to the cell door. Just something to consider.
April 1st, 2008 at 3:14 pm
For J.L. Brown; there ARE cameras everywhere, including the toilets and even the elevators ( haven’t heard the urban myth of fatal elevator rides with the bodies thrown down the shafts?), have been for years. That’s the first thing the ambulance chasers subpoena, the video. Did anyone read the story? One, he was being treated for some unspecified illness/condition, and two, over a period of days his condition deteriorated and coma followed. Is the coma even related to the altercation and taser use? For Mandy: they get 100,000 people through there each year, how many are tasered, or even see a taser. Remember, these inmates are people you don’t want loose among you. Most have some very serious physical and/or mental disorders to start with, increasing the possibility of them being arrested. Jail is not the Brea Mall.
April 1st, 2008 at 3:52 pm
this is for oldski. What makes you think for 1 minute that everyone being arrested are people that you don’t want loose among us. They are more than likely your next door neighbor, or your childrens friends.
My husband was a cop for 20 years and believe me sweetie when I say that there are MANY who are not gold plated. What do you think the cops mean by being restrained? It sure as hell isn’t standing in the corner for time out!
April 1st, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Coma doesnt come naturally. Several ways can: Severe intoxication-which he wasnt. central nervous system disease-which he didnt have. and lastly severe concussions. Its not like he was sent back to his cell all fine and dandy and then jus fell in a coma. Something had to have happened besides the tasering to cause such head trauma, aka the jail beatings that have been going on since the 90’s.
April 1st, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I’m sure all of the facts will come out in the trial after Mr. Coma Inmate files his personal injury suit against the county.
April 1st, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Does that make you feel good to make jokes about someone whos braindead?
April 1st, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Wow, APD, you sure seem to have an axe to grind with OCSD! Sounds like sour grapes to me. Nah, I wasn’t involved and I’m not wearing panties either! Are you into that or what, you kinky devil you!
April 1st, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Yep thier untrained young thugs, they are and have been out of control for years. There is no reason to wait until I hear anymore, short of this man having a medical condition that caused him to fall into a coma
the force used in this case (and many many others that never make the press) has to be excessive to the extream. Enough is enough. The feds need to get into our jail system and clean house. And yes I have seen it first hand with my own eyes too many times.
loyal2ocsd are you insane why??????????
must be one of thoes tuff guys at lacy
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:27 am
Dear Pickles, you’re correct that some of the inmates are there very briefly for irresponsible acts, FTAs, unpaid fines, etc. But they get released within 24 hours 90% of the time by posting bail, OR, time served, diversion programs ad naseum. The bulk of the inmates remaining are CRIMINALS, and yes, some are my neighbors, friends of children, even a nephew on occasion. They belong there. They broke the laws we passed and many have very violent natures.
P.S., I may have misinterpreted your comments, but it sounds like you have a low opinion of that husband, Sweetie.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Obviously none have you have been to jail.. when taking blood they dont carefully look for veins they stab till they find.. and the officera are bigger pricks looking for any reason to inflict pain on you any way they can. if you dont walk close enough to the line your assaulted. the little dick cops in the jails are the problems