Three Harris County jailers indicted for assaulting, beating inmate into a coma
HOUSTON - Three Harris County jailers were charged with Assault with Bodily Injury after the family of 48-year-old Adael Gonzalez Garcia filed a federal lawsuit against Harris County Jail.
Garcia was booked into the Harris County Jail the day before Thanksgiving 2022 and arrested for an outstanding misdemeanor warrant.
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The family says that on the day after Thanksgiving, Garcia was beaten severely by guards. He suffered a brain injury causing him to go into a coma and lose part of his skull.
Harris County has released no videos or reports but Internal Affairs is investigating.
The IAD investigation led to a Harris County Grand Jury indicting jailers John Ziesemer, Ezihuo Osiminibeke, and Jimmy Poole on Assault Causing Bodily Injury charges.
Ziesemer, Osiminibeke, and Poole were all relieved of duty on May 4 and May 6, 2024, pending the conclusion of an Internal Affairs investigation. The detention officers are no longer working in the jail.
Consistent with HCSO protocol, administrative action was immediately taken after the grand jury process.
"There has been no previous case I am aware of where three or more jailers have been indicted in a single case," said former Harris County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Jeff Reese.
"Harris County does not indemnify the jail guards for civil rights violations so many injured inmates go into severe debt and never recover financially while families of those who died do not even receive funeral costs," said civil rights lawyer Randall L. Kallinen, "The guards almost killed Adael and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office has a policy of not doing IAD investigations if a criminal case is pending against the complainant."
A fourth jailer, Katon Martin, surrendered his jailer's license, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says, "HCSO officers are entrusted to provide care and a safe environment for those in our custody. We take these matters seriously and conduct an internal review of all use of force incidents. All employees are held accountable for their actions and must adhere to all protocols and policies. The investigation is ongoing at this time."