HOUSTON – A former Harris County Jail Inmate has asked for and received an apology for being left in an inmate transport van for more than 10 hours on April 2, 2017.
But Dominique Crutchfield, 35, said Friday, in his first interview about the matter, he may file a lawsuit against the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
What happened?
Crutchfield said he was loaded into an HCSO Sprinter-type van for transport to another area of the downtown jail complex in downtown Houston on Baker Street.
At least a half-dozen inmates were unloaded from the back of the van without incident. But Crutchfield said he and another inmate, previously identified in news reports as Cristian Fuentes, 18, were caged in the forward part of the van's caged area.
Crutchfield said the two should have been unloaded from the sliding side door of the van, but they were forgotten. He said they spent more than 10 overnight hours in the dark.Â
How did that go?
Crutchfield said it was the toughest night he has ever spent.
The two strangers were handcuffed to each other. Crutchfield was being held on a probation violation regarding a firearms theft charge. Fuentes was held on an unspecified warrant.
He said he had no access to water or a restroom and could not move. Crutchfield said the first few hours were especially tense, but then the men passed the time by talking to each other about their life experiences.
Both were uncomfortable and were taken to the infirmary after a passerby noticed the men the next morning, sitting in the van, parked in front of the jail.
What does HCSO have to say?Â
Harris County Public Affairs Director, Jason Spencer Director, released the following statement:
On April 2, 2017, a deputy and detention officer were assigned to transport eight inmates to the jail located at 1307 Baker Street. Two inmates were left aboard the bus for about 10 hours before they were discovered and taken to the medical clinic for evaluation.
Following an internal investigation, the deputy involved in the incident was recommended for termination and the detention officer received a 7-day suspension. The deputy appealed his termination to the Harris County Civil Service Commission, which modified the termination to a 6-month suspension.Â
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office takes the care of inmates seriously and imposes serious disciplinary action when standards are not met. We extend our sincere apologies to the two men who were impacted.
What's next?
Crutchfield said he has been in consultation with a lawyer and is considering filing a civil lawsuit against the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Crutchfield said that he had never been told the results of the investigation, now disclosed above.
He also said that he never received an apology from the Sheriff Office, which was also part of the statement released Friday.