Alameda County sheriff’s deputy charged with felony in jail beating

Joseph Bailey, an Alameda County Sheriff’s deputy at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, has been accused of coordinating an attack on an inmate, officials said. Joseph Bailey, an Alameda County Sheriff’s deputy at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, has been accused of coordinating an attack on an inmate, officials said. Photo: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office / / Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Photo: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office / / Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Alameda County sheriff’s deputy charged with felony in jail beating 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

An Alameda County sheriff’s deputy accused of coordinating the assault of a jail inmate told six prisoners to “take care of him and make it look like he fell in the shower,” according to investigators.

Joseph Bailey, 28, of Tracy, was charged Thursday with felony assault by a police officer and felony assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury after another deputy reported the alleged comments to a supervisor.

The inmate, who had argued with Bailey, suffered a swollen eye, fractured nose and cuts on his face after other prisoners attacked him Oct. 24, according to a declaration by Alameda County sheriff’s Sgt. Kevin Estep.

Charging documents allege that Bailey asked prisoners at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin to attack the inmate, Kaven Dangerfield, after a “verbal disagreement where the victim made comments about Deputy Bailey being spooked and the victim claimed he would see Deputy Bailey on the streets.”

Dangerfield was newly housed at Unit 32 of the jail but initially refused to participate in the required strip search before eventually complying, charging documents state.

Before Bailey escorted Dangerfield to his cell, the deputy walked into the D-Pod area of the jail to talk to other prisoners about his behavior, prosecutors say. The inmate was moved to D-Pod at 10:11 p.m., but about an hour and a half later another prisoner told staffers he needed to be removed, according to Estep.

A deputy sheriff arrived to find Dangerfield bleeding with injuries that included a swollen eye, fractured nose and lacerations to his bottom lip, left eye and forehead.

Before he was taken to the hospital, he pointed out several inmates from a lineup who he said punched and kicked him repeatedly, Estep’s declaration states. Dangerfield told a deputy sheriff that he thought the inmates beat him up because his family was affiliated with a rival gang.

Six days later, as the deputy typed a police report on the incident, he asked Bailey for advice with interviewing the alleged attackers, according to Estep’s declaration. Bailey allegedly told the deputy, “I told those six guys to take care of him and make it look like he fell in the shower.”

He added he didn’t want the inmate “to get beat up that bad.”

The other deputy immediately told his supervisor, Estep stated.

At least four inmates said in interviews that Bailey facilitated the attack, charging documents say. One said Bailey told them to “send him out with a busted lip, but don’t do too much.”

A second inmate said the gang affiliation was an added reason to beat up Dangerfield but that Bailey initially told them to, offering to write a report that the inmate fell off a bunk.

Another inmate who was interviewed after his release from jail told investigators that Bailey said, “I won’t mind writing a packet if he slips and falls” but made air quotations while saying slips and falls.

Bailey, accompanied by an attorney, provided a voluntary statement on the incident on Nov. 22. He said he spoke with inmates in the D-Pod but asked them only to “help to make sure the victim did not cause anybody problems.” He said he often does that when new inmates arrive and did not intend for them to attack Dangerfield.

He said he recalled one of the alleged attackers telling him before the incident that Dangerfield should be removed from the pod for refusing to shower and causing problems.

Bailey said he told the inmate he had to go to the sergeant’s office and would deal with the issue later. The attack occurred while Bailey was in the office, according to charging documents.

Bailey was arrested on Wednesday, posted an unspecified bail and remains on administrative leave.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno