Webb jail probe under fire (Texas)

LAREDO —— Mexican Consul Daniel Hernandez Joseph said Monday he is questioning a Webb County Sheriff's Department investigation into a January shakedown of 16 inmates that ended with allegations of mistreatment and one stitched chin.

The inmates were on a hunger strike to protest fewer visitation hours and claim they were treated improperly while detained, Hernandez said.

He said Sheriff Rick Flores' investigation into the matter seemed incomplete because the inmates alleging mistreatment said they weren't asked any questions.

The sheriff's department has turned its internal investigation over to the FBI, which has since forwarded its findings from a preliminary probe to the Justice Department's office of civil rights, a routine procedure.

"My question mark is, if the sheriff's department already did an investigation, then how could they have done it without interviewing the people who made the accusations?" Hernandez asked. "How could there be a final decision based solely on what the officials say?"

County officials said the inmates threw food and water throughout a large cell, which includes a dining and bunk area. In a letter to Hernandez, the officials said the inmates "tied a garment around a steel girder and steel gate, thereby barring entry or exit from the cell."

Jailers removed the cloth, handcuffed the inmates with plastic ties and took them out of the cell. County officials said one of the inmates slipped on the wet floor in the process, busting open his chin, and was taken to a hospital for stitches.

But the inmate, Hernandez said, told consular officials a jailer kicked him in the back of the head as he looked up while lying on the ground, causing his chin to slam against the floor.

Three Mexican citizens and one U.S. citizen told consular officials that jailers used pepper spray on them, then took them to a shower to wash. They said all the inmates were made to kneel for a few hours before being returned to their cell.

Sheriff's department spokesman Tom Sanchez said no spray was used, nor were the inmates washed off. The injured inmate was not kicked, he said.

"I wasn't there for the investigation, but I do know that it was thorough," Sanchez said.

Asked about the inmates not being interviewed, Sanchez said, "It's highly unlikely that they weren't interviewed."

Norman Townsend, head of the FBI in Laredo, would not comment about the investigation, but said a recommendation to look into it further or drop it should come from the Justice Department in 30 to 60 days.

Sheriff Flores started his administration in January after defeating 16-year veteran Juan Garza, whom he criticized for not maintaining the jail, which has a capacity of 571 inmates.

A senior law enforcement official here said on condition of anonymity that he wasn't surprised inmates are complaining, because the new administration has stricter jailhouse rules.

"He's trying to make it a jail again," the official said of Flores. "There has been some belief that the fox was in charge of the henhouse before."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- jbogan@express-news.net

but said a recommendation to look into it further or drop it should come from the Justice Department in 30 to 60 days.

Well considering that President Bush just installed a member of La Raza in the Justice Department as Attorney General we can guess how that recommendation is going to go.

Seems Bill O'Reilly has a petition for Pres Bush asking him to uphold his sworn duty. Here is a copy of the email I sent to all friends and folks on my personal email list. I also sent a copy to the Pres and O'Reilly. Let's get O'Reilly MILLIONS of signatures!<\p>

(E-Mail) As you are aware, our elected politicians, Republican and Democrat alike, fail to do anything about illegal aliens. Bill O'Reilly has a petition on his WWW site. The petition is not ant-immigrant. The petition is for presentation to President Bush, requesting him to do his sworn duty to protect America and enforce the law.

The object is to try to roll back some of the potential disasters for our country. If you are tired of over burdened social services, high taxes and other concerns, consider signing the petition. Irked by over crowded hospital emergency wards (you pay, you pay for them, but you wait anyway)? Think the "illegals" may affect the US Dollar's value and balance of payments? (Many of the 11 million illegals send money home,) Concerned about crime, drug importation, Terrorists etc... ? If you agree with O'Reilly, please sign the petition and forward this e-mail to others. If you disagree, that is your prerogative and I apologize if I may have disturbed you.

http://www.billoreilly.com/petitions/viewpetition?petitionID=365614436806763390

All the Best and Thanks

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