Hack #1 (Tim Howard) and hack #2 (Brian Doyle) of the Erie County Sheriff’s Department once again deflected the blame for the mess they created in the Erie County jail system by firing and suspending a bunch of other people:
A sergeant and two deputies at the Erie County Holding Center have been fired for their participation in an assault on an inmate in January.
Three other deputies were spared dismissal but were suspended without pay because, when questioned about the incident, they admitted their role, according to Brian D. Doyle, chief of administration for the Sheriff’s Office.
But that wasn’t all the deflecting they did yesterday.
Conveniently, while the dog and pony show above was taking place, a decision was made in the COC’s lawsuit involving conditions at the holding center. The same one that pokes holes in the county’s defense of the DOJ lawsuit:
The Commission of Corrections won. The county is in non-compliance with some of the state guidelines they are using to defend themselves against the DOJ:
A judge ordered that the county must provide all inmates (including those who are not yet arraigned) an immediate risk assessment, health and hygienical supplies and clean bedding, among other things.
The only mention of this so far? Two paragraphs at the bottom of this Channel 2 story.
Instead of learning more about the decision, we were treated to the ass patting sound bytes of chief administrator Doyle:
“We put a priority on telling the truth,” Doyle said.
“This should be a sign to the public that when we have evidence of misconduct, we take action,” Doyle said.
When asked whether the Sheriff’s Office was making an example of these Holding Center workers because of the scrutiny the facility is facing under a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit over inmate conditions, Doyle said that was not the case.
Right question. Wrong case.
UPDATE: Here is the complete decision by Judge Devlin:
