Video shows alleged Harris County Jail abuse of inmates, deputies
HOUSTON - New videos shared with FOX 26 show instances of violence against inmates and deputies inside the Harris County Jail. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump addressed the never-before-seen video that he says exposes a pattern of mistreatment. FOX 26 was told the footage was shared by a source from inside the jail.
"The Harris County jail is run like a Third World country jail," said Joe Incocencio, a candidate for Harris County Sheriff.
The video shows a pattern of violence against inmates and staff from inside the Harris County Jail. In one video, inmates gathered as a jailer assaults a detainee in a broom closet.
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"That deputy, that jailer, has while he was beating, he felt comfortable beating this inmate," said Inocencio.
That is one of five videos released by Attorney Ben Crump and Joe Inocencio.
Twenty-seven families whom Crump represents say they hope the footage will reveal the truth about how their loved ones died while in custody.
"All these pictures represent somebody's son or daughter or mother or father who died in the care of the people who were supposed to protect them," said Crump, a civil rights attorney.
Curtis and Annett Barrett James said their brother, William Curtis Garrett, is one of those inmates who lost their lives while in jail. He was in for a misdemeanor and died two days later.
"We want to know what happened. We managed to find out that it was blunt force trauma and it took the lawsuit for us to get that," said Barrett James.
"So then the natural question is, how did he get this blunt force trauma," asked Crump.
"These families deserve answers. They deserve transparency. There should be accountability for every single family," said Ron Reynolds, a state representative.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office responded, "Our office is unable to comment on political campaign events."