A video of the incident that was released on Sunday shows a verbal exchange between a detention officer and inmate D'Alessandro Chavez-Sandoval. It quickly devolves into chaos with numerous punches thrown.
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A second video obtained by ABC13 shows Chavez-Sandoval being taken away. His face is bloodied.
"It's excessive force. I mean, it's obvious. I don't know what to say on this one," Randall Kallinen, an attorney for Chavez-Sandoval, said. "It's very crystal clear video. There's no question."
The incident happened on Jan. 19, 2024, on the second floor of the Joint Processing Center in downtown Houston.
Chavez-Sandoval, 21, had been arrested for a parole violation on a robbery conviction from when he was a juvenile.
Kallinen, a civil rights attorney, said he was told Chavez-Sandoval drew the guard's ire because he was laughing and talking. The punches followed.
"If you look at the time when he first says a word to when he's punched, that's less than 10 seconds," Kallinen said.
Chavez-Sandoval hits back, and more guards rush in, the video shows.
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After the brawl, Chavez-Sandoval was charged with an assault on a public servant. On Monday, the charge was dismissed due to "insufficient evidence of the defendant's guilt," court records state.
Kallinen said he asked the Harris County District Attorney's Office Civil Rights Division to investigate.
Chavez-Sandoval remains in jail for the parole violation.
The sheriff's office sent the following statement regarding the incident:
This incident is being investigated by internal affairs. Chavez-Sandoval was provided medical treatment, cleared by medical personnel, and then placed in a holding cell. The detention officer sustained injuries as well but did not require hospitalization. The detention officer's name is not being released, and he is still employed by HCSO.
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