A vicious assault by a jailer at the Hidalgo County Jail in Texas has resulted in an arrest. According to witnesses that include other jail staff, Michael David Hinojosa, 32, was observed shoving his police baton into the anus of a sleeping prisoner. Hinojosa reportedly was trying to wake the prisoner to take a mugshot and fingerprints. Staff reported that the jailer shoved the baton into the prisoner’s anus at least four times. The jail officer was arrested this week and charged with improper sexual activity with a person in custody, a state jail felony.
Other jail staff made sworn statements that confirmed the inmate’s story of the horrific assault. Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra issued a public statement about the assault Monday night saying he was “disappointed,” but promised to investigate the matter and to take necessary actions to preserve the public’s confidence and trust in the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. The statement reads:
“As your Hidalgo County Sheriff, I oversee hundreds of deputies, detention officers and employees everyday, of whom I hold to high standards of police distinction and excellence. I do this because I truly believe that as public servants, we must maintain accountability and trust from the people we serve, to continue the mission of public safety. I am greatly disappointed and concerned, over the actions of one of my detention officers that does not reflect our office’s commitment to these high standards. After learning of a use of force incident between Detention Officer Michael Hinojosa, and an inmate at our adult detention center, I initiated an internal investigation which revealed violation of protocols, policies and Texas state law. I have since terminated Hinojosa’s employment from the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, and also filed criminal charges against him for Violation of Civil Rights of Person In Custody. I stand behind my promise that I am committed to restoring and preserving the public’s confidence and trust in the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. We will continue to investigate all allegations of employee misconduct, and I will take the necessary and appropriate actions to maintain accountability and transparency to you, the citizens we serve.”
To the disgrace of the department, Hinojosa was booked into the same facility where he was worked as a guard.
