Friday, March 28, 1997
Officers moved to administrative positions
By MARY HOPKINS
and ANTHONY WILSON
Staff Writers
Two correctional officers involved in an inmate's death have
been moved to administrative positions that do not require inmate
contact.
"Jobs that don't require inmate contact are plentiful
within TDCJ," said Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman
Larry Todd on Thursday. Moving the officers is what some police
departments or agencies would do in a similar situation, Todd
said.
The two correctional officers were transferred for a while,
Todd said, pending the results of the Jones County Grand Jury,
which has yet to meet.
The transfers were made in light of Justice of the Peace Samuel
Matta's ruling of homicide in connection with Robertson inmate
Gary Crenshaw's Jan. 26 death.
Matta ruled last Friday that Crenshaw's death was an "unprovoked
takedown," but he declined to give details on how he made
that decision. Earlier Matta said autopsy results indicated that
Crenshaw appeared to have been asphyxiated.
Before he made the ruling, Matta said he would investigate
whether the asphyxiation was a result of the officers' attempt
to get Crenshaw in a hogtied position. But last Friday, when Matta
announced his verdict of homicide, he would not elaborate on whether
his decision had anything to do with whether Crenshaw's death
resulted from being placed in that position.
TDCJ spokesman Larry Todd said Crenshaw was not hogtied with
the handcuffs.
"A hogtied position requires three sets of handcuffs -
one for the wrists, one for the ankles, and a third to tie the
handcuffs together, which would bring the ankles and wrist together,"
Todd said.
"(The officers) could have been trying (to get him in
a hogtied position). I honestly don't know. They were having to
physically restrain him. That's obvious. But it's under investigation,"
Todd said. The investigation was complete when Matta received
it, but Todd said it can always be supplemented.
Todd said the two correctional officers' names would not be
released since the matter would soon be presented to the Jones
County Grand Jury.
"I'm not going to release their names because it's a personnel
matter, and it's under investigation," Todd said. If the
Grand Jury indicts the officers, Region 5 Special Prosecutor Cheryl
Farren will handle the case. She is paid with federal funds through
a grant for special prosecutors who relieve local district attorneys
from having to handle indictments generated by local prisons.
Farren did not return phone calls Thursday.
Jones County District Attorney Gary Brown reported earlier
this week that he's unsure when the case will be presented to
a grand jury.
"They can take as long as they want," Todd said.
"Just from experience, I imagine they'll move pretty quickly."
Brown said he'll ask Texas Ranger Calvin Cox to investigate
the death.
"No matter what we think, we'll let (grand jurors) decide"
whether to file criminal charges, Brown said.
"We're going to tell that Grand Jury anything they wish
to know," said Todd.
Although he's unaware of what Matta's investigation consisted
of, Brown expressed confidence in the justice's conclusion.
"I give Judge Matta a lot of credit," Brown said.
"I don't think he's out in leftfield."
Robertson Warden Ron Drewry and Assistant Warden Craig Raines
declined to comment Thursday except through Larry Todd, who is
based in Austin. Gary Johnson, TDCJ Institutional Division Director,
also declined to comment except through Todd.
John Gilbert, Regional Director for Region 5, also did not
return phone calls.
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Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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