Bowie County jail employees arrested and fired in alleged assault on inmate
Two Bowie County jail employees have been arrested after an alleged assault on an inmate.
David Crawford, 33, and Stuart Boozer, 38, have been arrested on charges of official oppression and tampering with a government record, according to a report from the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office.
Both suspects have been terminated from their positions at the jail, according to the report. The men were employed by LaSalle Corrections, the company that operates the Bowie County Correctional Center.
“While an inmate was being reassigned from one cell to another, the employees did not follow proper protocols while removing the inmate from the cell, and the situation escalated,” Jay Eason, Director of
Operations at LaSalle Corrections, told the Gazette Thursday night. “We discovered the two employees involved in the move did not follow useof-force policies, so BCCC immediately suspended the employees without pay and contacted the Sheriff’s department. After completing an internal investigation, initial findings were confirmed and the two employees involved were terminated.
“Following the use-of-force incident, the inmate was examined by medical staff and he did not suffer any injuries. LaSalle Corrections will not tolerate incidents of this nature or employees who violate policies and procedures.”
Eason said the Correctional Center’s primary focus is the safety and well being of the inmates in the facility. BCCC employs protocols and training to ensure inmates are treated appropriately and with respect.
The incident came to light on June 30 when the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the administrative staff of the Bowie County jail of a use of force they had reviewed that was excessive. The information about this use of force and an accompanying video was provided to the Sheriff’s Office for review, said Capt. Jeff Neal, chief deputy.
Upon review of the material submitted, it appears that the two corrections officers responded to a single occupancy cell to move an inmate to another location.
According to information released by the sheriff’s office: When they entered the cell the inmate
and Crawford appear to exchange of words. During this exchange Crawford strikes the inmate multiple times with a closed fist. Boozer attempted to restrain the inmate who did not appear to actively fighting them. Crawford (allegedly) continues to strike the inmate while he was being restrained by Boozer.
A short time later the inmate gets on his feet again and Boozer appears to be having a verbal exchange with him after which a second altercation takes places. During this portion of the incident the inmate is (allegedly) restrained from behind by Boozer in a head restraint while Crawford can again be seen punching the inmate repeatedly. The reports submitted by both Boozer and Crawford (allegedly) did not match what was observed on the video, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Arrest warrants were prepared and issued for Official Oppression and Tampering with a Government Record for both Crawford and Boozer. They both voluntarily surrendered themselves for these warrants and were arrested. Bond was set at $15,000.00 for each charge and both subjects had bonded out of jail as of Thursday, according to the Sheriff’s Office.