HOUSTON – An inmate accused of beating a detention officer at the Harris County Jail on July 21 was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for a capital murder charge that happened nearly three years ago, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Before his conviction and while being held in jail, Christian Miguel Dillard was charged with aggravated assault on a public servant, which was one of many charges on his record. He appeared in court Tuesday where he learned his punishment for the murder he committed in 2020.
Court documents show Dillard struck Officer J. Valdiviez multiple times with his hand.
Valdiviez reportedly sustained serious injuries after the attack, the county jail stated. He was listed to be in fair condition and recovering at home with bruised ribs, several facial lacerations, and a broken nose.
“Mentally, I’m still recuperating,” Valdiviez said in a phone call to KPRC 2′s Rilwan Balogun. “We’re still trying to figure and process it out. Physically, I’m OK. I’m doing good. I’m getting better. I’m healing day by day. But you know it’s kind of hard to talk with the stitches in my mouth. The stitches on the side of my head.”
Valdiviez said he was on the “double lockdown” floor, which houses serious violent offenders, such as Dillard.
The 28-year-old said he was walking downstairs as Dillard was walking up.
“That’s where he snuck me from behind and I ended up turning around immediately, I guess, trying to like swing back or fight back, in general, defending myself.”
“Typically, in this pod, it’s always a three-man pod,” Valdiviez said. “To be short-staffed in a double door lock down pod in general, that’s just unacceptable.”
The Harris County Deputies Organization President David Cuevas echoed his sentiments.
“We don’t have enough personnel out on the streets to protect the citizens or in our detention facilities and we’re seeing firsthand,” Cuevas said.
He said Commissioners Court needs to increase detention officer pay by 23% to 25% to be competitive with surrounding areas.
“We’re going to continue to go to work and do our job,” said Cuevas. “We are in desperate need of better finances so we can hire, retain better personnel.”
The HCSO Internal Affairs Unit and the Office of Inspector General will investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, the sheriff commended Valdiviez.
“I want to commend DO (detention officer) Valdiviez, his colleagues who intervened within seconds to stop the attack, and everyone who bravely reports for duty each day in Texas’ largest county jail,” Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on Twitter.
I am grateful that Detention Officer Valdiviez is at home recovering from the injuries he suffered at the hands of a capital murder defendant who has been in our jail since April 17, 2020.
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) July 24, 2023
We work hard to make our jail safe for everyone who lives and works there. That’s
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Inmate’s long and violent criminal record
According to court records, Dillard has a long and violent criminal history dating back to 2016. Before the recent attack, he’s been charged with assaulting an officer or peace officers three different times since 2021.
In 2021, records show Dillard was charged with capital murder, aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon in 2020, unauthorize use of a vehicle in 2020 and assault of a family member in 2020.
A criminal investigation has been launched into the incident.
Incidents among inmates and short staffing at Harris County Jail addressed
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee discussed the incident and addressed the large number of events that has been reported at the county jail.
“For the betterment of the entire community, we must denounce the beating of the Harris County Detention Officer and the large number of deaths that have occurred among inmates in the Harris County Jail. I know there are families that are suffering and need answers,” Jackson said on Twitter. “This Detention Officer did not deserve this vicious beating.”
None of these persons — the detention officers there to serve, nor the inmate awaiting trial should face injury or death.
— Sheila Jackson Lee (@JacksonLeeTX18) July 25, 2023
According to HCSO, there have been 10 in-custody deaths this year. As of July 2023, Texas Jail Project reported 11.
In 2022, 27 inmates died in Harris County and eight have died in custody this year, according to records.
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards said the Harris County Jail continues to deal with staffing issues, inmates spending more time in holding cells, staff not following medical orders or seeing inmates in a timely manner.
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