45 Second Choke Hold, Inmate Death, A Widow Reacts, But No Sheriff's Office Report Yet

Internal Documents show a Harris County Jail Detention Officer used a choke hold on a jail inmate for 45 seconds on New Year's Day.  That inmate was conscious to fill out a statement describing the choke hold before being taken to the hospital.  At the hospital, the inmate - Clarence Freeman - was put on a ventilator and died 9 days later.  He reportedly never regained consciousness.

Tonight on the TV side you can hear from Freeman's widow as she reads the documents for the first time.

You can read them for yourself here:

Clarence Freeman's Statement

Detention Officer Nathan Hartfield's Statement (used Choke Hold)

Detention Officer Travis Vaughn's Statement (Witness)

As you will read the statements were written on January 1st and 3rd.  The autopsy reports were completed and sent to the Sheriff's Office weeks ago.  We check every day and there is no sign that the Internal Affairs investigation is complete yet.  It means that if the deputy did anything wrong - either in violation of rules or the law - it hasn't been figured out yet. 

I initially thought that would be an anomaly.  It isn't.

We have the records and are finishing up the data work right now.  We'll show you tomorrow that 7 months isn't out of the ordinary and many investigations take longer.

Comments

[Diane]

I have a son in the Liberty County Jail system, there was an detention officer that attacked my son, there were men in his area the turned in the grevience bout it, the men are being treated worse than animals, yes I agree that they did wrong, if they did but treat them like humans, we treat the war prisions better than our own. I have put in several complains about the jails, it seems like I would be better telling the wall. NOTHING is being done. I have sent an email to the Jails of standards but still have not talked with anyone. The sewer is also going into the cells and men are getting sick but nothing is getting done. I would like to know who else I can get ahold of before I loose him. I was even threatened by a detention officer if I didn't get out of there that I could not see him again. Please help us. Thank you

[Chris]

I know and grew up next door with Officer Hartfield, Trey as we call him. This guy is a stand up guy. If Trey had to get on this guy, all that Godly talk from his wife is BS, that means he HAD to be subdued. As for his wife's Godly comment, I bet he was Godly, everyone finds Jesus or Allah in jail right? Trey has always been good with his hands and defending himself. He taught me how to defend myself growing up, and took formal classes all his life on self defense. He knows how to properly apply a choke hold to subdue someone.
This case is nothing more than a freak accident happening to someone as a result of their own doing. If he had not become unruly Trey would never had to subdue him at all and all this could have been diverted. With all the cameras in a jail system, I highly doubt Trey just jumped on the guy for no reason at all, for what so everyone in their mother can see it on video. Also thats why he hasn't been charged or fired for the actual altercation.

[ROCHELLE]

I am sorry but I don't feel sorry for those criminals. I have seen first hand how those inmates act and how they treat law enforcement personnel. You have to protect yourselves from them. Some of them truly act like animals. What about the crimes that they commit against the public? I bet his wife wasn't creating all of this drama when he was out doing his dirt. Again I have seen how they act first hand. Not all of them act crazy but you as law enforcement personnel have to protect yourself from them. I don't see anyone protesting when the inmates harm the jail personnel. I am so tired of people claiming that the inmates are treated unfairly in jail. They commit a crime and are sentenced as punishment not funishment. Some of these people are locked up for devious acts and they don't care who they hurt or kill. What was the officer supposed to do take a beat down and not do anything to protect himself?

[j.b. strange]

a choke hold of 7 seconds is enough
to kill any man.most military specially trained units know this.
and you say the hold was applied for 45 seconds.....the man was dead
38 seconds after the hold was applied. there was no need to take him for treatment other than to pronounce him doa. sadly unecessary
use of restraint and a cover-up

[December]

I strongly beleive the Detention Officer should not be penalyzed or even lose his job. He was defending himself and thats my plan of defense action when I become a detention officer. I am a 18 year old female, 5'3 and 125 pounds. So when a 200 pound man trys to harm me my goal of defense will be to send him to the hospital at the most for self defense. Inmates always want to take their anger out on the gaurds, so if they create the problem the gaurds have to finish off the problem in any fashion that is needed. Thats the way I view it and those are the actions that I will be taking.

[December]

Yes, it's true that some Detention officers treat the inmates unfairly just as the one Detetion officer who was fired for beating up a inmate and caught on camera admiting his intended action just seconds before the beating occured. However, please keep in mind, SOME but not ALL Detention officers are cruel. So the matter of that one inmate being in the choke hold and dieing, I totaly beleive the Detention officer story and I strongly feel that the inmate brung his own death on himself and he's the one to blame, not the Detention officer

[December]

And for Rochelle who posted a comment earlier, I have a question, what did your son do to get himself where he is? Im not saying turn your back on him, but maybe he's in prison/jail because your always defending him and applauding him for his bad actions. He's in jail and gets attacked not by a inmate because he's probaly bullying them, but by a Detention Officer because he probaly tried to bully the Detention officer. Your claiming that out of ALL the inmates they choose your son to suddenly and for no reason beat? Mam, talk to your son. Ask your son how is he behaving while in custody. And stop having pity on him and defending his every action. Like I said earlier your probaly part of the reason he's behind bars because you defend and encourage his every action whether it's good or bad.

[Pandora Bracelets]

I would like to know who else I can get ahold of before I loose him. I was even threatened by a detention officer if I didn't get out of there that I could not see him again. Please help us. Thank you

[pandora]

Like I said earlier your probaly part of the reason he's behind bars because you defend and encourage his every action whether it's good or bad.

[pandora bracelets]

maybe he's in prison/jail because your always defending him and applauding him for his bad actions