By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons
Tribune staff reporter
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Six Lake County, Ind., correctional officers have been suspended with pay while local and federal officials investigate the alleged beating of a county jail inmate, authorities said today.
The attack occurred Dec. 26 at the Lake County Jail in Crown Point, Ind., when the inmate became verbally abusive to jail guards, County Sheriff Roy Dominguez said at a news conference this morning.
The inmate, Tommy Ford, had been convicted of murder in October and sentenced to 50 years in prison. He was being held at the jail awaiting transfer to prison.
Dominguez would not disclose the extent of Ford’s injuries or information about the beating. He would only say Ford was hospitalized for “several days” and is now in the medical unit of the jail.
He said up to six jail guards allegedly attacked Ford around 1:40 p.m. after he cursed guards who were escorting him to see a visitor.
“This went above and beyond what is required to restrain an individual,” the sheriff said. “This was abuse.”
“This will not be tolerated,” he said.
Dominguez said his office was looking into the possibility of a cover-up because a report on the incident did not contain information about the alleged beating.
The sheriff said investigators are interviewing witnesses, and that he expected the probe to take about a week. He also said his office has asked the FBI to launch a concurrent, independent investigation into any federal civil rights or criminal violations that may have occurred.
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