HOUSTON – Civil rights attorney Ben Crump held a news conference Friday evening to announce two new lawsuits have been filed against Harris County for the deaths and alleged abuse of eight inmates.
The lawsuit was filed on the behalf of Daevion Young, Michael Walker, D’Alessandro Chavez-Sandoval, Victoria Simon, Alan Kerber, Kyle Ryker, Eric Russell, and Robert Terry.
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According to a release, one of the lawsuits to be filed details the alleged abuse of Terry, who was reportedly dragged into a cell and beaten by officers.
The lawsuit states that Terry received some health care at the jail after his alleged beating but was not evaluated for head trauma or internal hemorrhaging, which he had sustained during the beating as detailed in the complaint. Within days, Terry was throwing up, coughing up, and defecating blood, according to the complaint. Terry then reportedly passed out, hit his head on the metal toilet and was found unresponsive, which resulted in his death.
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The lawsuits allege that the inmates were deprived of their constitutional rights and mistreated while being detained. The lawsuit also details Harris County’s persistent culture of maltreatment and lack of concern for the lives of detainees awaiting pre-trial, which ultimately led to the alleged constitutional violations.
The other lawsuit details the deliberate indifference that reportedly led to the deaths of Alan Kerber and Victoria Simon while also bringing claims on behalf of numerous individuals who say they were beaten ruthlessly by officers within the jail. This includes the alleged beating of D’Alessandro Chavez-Sandoval, which was caught on camera and released to the public just a few months ago.
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KPRC 2 reached out to Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the following statement was sent:
“We are unable to comment on any pending litigation.”