Two Harris County Jail officers fired over prisoner death Sergeant, jailer falsified statements, officials say

Harris County Jail prisoner Clarence Crawford Freeman died on Jan. 10 after being subdued by a jail detention officer on Jan. 1. The officer and a sergeant have been fired over the incident. Harris County Jail prisoner Clarence Crawford Freeman died on Jan. 10 after being subdued by a jail detention officer on Jan. 1. The officer and a sergeant have been fired over the incident. Photo: Harris County Sheriff's Office Photo: Harris County Sheriff's Office Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Two Harris County Jail officers fired over prisoner death 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

Two Harris County Jail officers have been fired for their actions following the death of an inmate earlier this year, officials announced Friday as federal authorities continued a rare inspection of the lockup.

Detention Officer Nathan Hartfield, 36, and Sgt. Joyce Harris, 44, were fired after sheriff's officials determined they lied about the New Year's Day confrontation that resulted in the death of Clarence Freeman, Maj. Don McWilliams said.

Freeman died in a hospital a few days after being forcibly subdued by Hartfield, who had worked for the department for two years. Harris, a 16-year veteran, was his supervisor at the time of the incident, McWilliams said. No charges have been filed.

Investigators have said Hartfield was escorting Freeman to an isolation cell, where the inmate was to file a written grievance over jailers' refusal to give him a second tray of food that he believed he'd been promised for doing extra work. But before they made it to the cell, the jailer and prisoner got into a physical confrontation that ended with Freeman in a choke hold.

Freeman, who was serving a two-year sentence for writing a hot check, died on Jan. 10 after being taken off life support. The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office concluded the 42-year-old died from respiratory failure after compression of his neck.

Doctors found that Freeman had developed a blood clot.

Before he died, Freeman gave investigators a written statement about the incident, records show.

Freeman said the jailer choked him until he was nearly unconscious. Freeman also stated he lost control of his bodily functions.

"On the way to lockup, the officer put his hands around my neck to throw me to the ground," Freeman stated. "I never resisted."

Afterward, McWilliams said, Harris told Hartfield to report that she had instructed him to move Freeman because he was creating a disturbance.

Investigators determined, however, that Harris actually was outside the building at the time, talking on her cell phone, and unaware of what was going on between Hartfield and Freeman.

DA to study findings

When confronted on Monday about their statements, both admitted they had lied, McWilliams said. They were fired on Thursday.

Officers are not required to inform supervisors when inmates are moved from cell to cell, but it is common practice to notify them, officials said.

Harris declined to comment when approached at her home Friday, and Hartfield did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Once the Sheriff's Office has completed its investigation, the findings will be turned over to the District Attorney's Office, McWilliams said.

In his statement about the confrontation, Hartfield said he "secured" his left arm under Freeman's neck until Freeman was subdued. He described the movement as a choke hold.

McWilliams said deputies and detention officers are not trained to use choke holds. They are, however, allowed to take necessary actions to defend themselves, McWilliams added.

Due for release in September, Freeman was brought to the Harris County Jail from a state facility in Travis County last summer to testify as a witness in a murder case.

Sheriff's officials earlier this year gave the following account of the events leading up to Freeman's death:

Freeman became confrontational as Hartfield escorted him to the isolation cell. When Hartfield told him to get up against a wall, Freeman refused and struck the officer in the face with an elbow. Hartfield then forced the inmate to the ground.

That led to the struggle, which lasted less than a minute.

Another detention officer, Travis Jarel Vaughn, saw both men on the ground. He helped Hartfield handcuff Freeman while the inmate was on his stomach. Hartfield, Vaughn reported, helped the prisoner to his feet. Then Freeman was escorted to the jail's medical clinic, where he complained he was having trouble breathing.

Examining the jail

Hartfield said in his statement that after the confrontation he noticed Freeman having trouble breathing. He had blood on his lips and smelled as if he had soiled himself.

The jail clinic staff recommended Freeman be taken to LBJ Hospital.

Freeman's medical condition deteriorated, prompting doctors to move him to an intensive care unit, according to a report filed by the Sheriff's Office with the Texas Attorney General's Office.

Freeman went into respiratory distress and developed a blood clot. On Jan. 9, doctors declared him brain-dead.

Cherry Bradley-Freeman, who said she was Freeman's wife, said the firings give her hope that the people responsible for her husband's death will face justice.

"I'm glad that they have come forward and admitted to what I already knew," she said.

The firings came three days after the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday launched what was expected to be a five-day inspection of the downtown county jail facilities to determine whether the jail is operating under lawful conditions.

While federal authorities have declined to say what specifically prompted their investigation, the jail has come under scrutiny in recent months for inmate deaths.

The facility also has been criticized for overcrowding, poor sanitation and questionable access to medical treatment and prescription drugs.

Although the state inspects the jail each April, this is the first time federal authorities have toured the facilities, said Chief Deputy Mike Smith, who supervises detention operations for the Sheriff's Office.

The inspection team, consisting of about nine people, told the Sheriff's Office they would be on site through today, Smith said.

Nearly 11,000 inmates are housed at the various Harris County Jail facilities.

If the investigation finds violations, federal officials will suggest ways to improve conditions. If those recommendations are not met, federal law allows the attorney general to sue the county.

Two days after Freeman's death, another inmate, Margarita Saavedra, 44, died from sepsis due to a bacterial infection in her left knee, an autopsy shows.

Saavedra had hurt her knee in the jail two weeks earlier and complained to her family that medical staff were not caring for her injury, said her son, Jose Saavedra.

Chronicle reporters Allan Turner, Peggy O'Hare and Leslie Casimir contributed to this report.

dale.lezon@chron.com