HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A sergeant employed by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office is pursuing legal action against Harris County and elected officials following a sexual assault inside the jail over a year and a half ago.
Her attorney Richard Presutti claims that inadequate staffing is responsible for the traumatic incident.
Presutti says no significant changes have happened since the attack on Dec. 6, 2021.
“Our client wants to help effectuate change at the jail,” said Presutti. “We are not adequately protecting those who are guarding the inmates in our jail,” he added.
The lawsuit, filed on Friday, alleges that Harris County, the Commissioners Court, Sheriff Gonzalez, and Judge Lina Hidalgo, in their official capacities, neglected their ministerial duties to properly fund and staff the jail.
The failure resulted in unsafe conditions, ultimately leading to the violent assault on the deputy.
“She’s not doing very well. She still suffers a lot and suffered emotional and physical injury,” said Presutti.
According to investigators, an inmate named Jeremiah Williams attacked the deputy while she was alone in her office, catching her off guard. Williams, who was 27 years old at the time of the attack, had a history of criminal offenses, including multiple sex-related crimes. He’s charged with two counts of aggravated assault.
Following the attack, Sheriff Gonzalez said that his office was working to address the issues at the jail and called the incident unusual.
“There are some things that need improvement, but I do not believe structurally that the jail is broken,” said Sheriff Gonzalez during a news conference in 2021.
Presutti says the county has had ample time to fix the problem, but staffing and safety are still concerns at the jail.
“When will enough be enough?” Presutti questioned.
Presutti says his client still works at the Sheriff’s office, but she has not returned since the assault.
KPRC 2 reached out to the Harris County Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office, and Judge Hidalgo’s Office, but they declined to comment.
The suspect in this case is awaiting trial and has not been convicted.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo expresses concerns over in-custody deaths