The sergeant in the Harris County Sheriff’s Workplace who pinned down and fatally shot Roderick Brooks, an unarmed Black man, in Texas final month has a protracted historical past of being disciplined for violating division insurance policies and was on disciplinary probation on the time of Brooks’ dying, in accordance with data obtained by HuffPost.
The sheriff’s workplace has suspended Garrett Hardin with out pay on eight completely different events since 2004 for infractions that embody crashing his patrol automotive into one other car, giving false statements to his supervisors, and making lewd and sexual remarks to officers working beneath him.
Hardin was first suspended in 2004, when he entered a cellblock after witnessing a struggle between two incarcerated individuals and left safety doorways unlocked and unsupervised.
He has additionally been suspended with out pay 4 occasions since 2005 for damaging patrol vehicles, in accordance with the data.
In April 2008, Hardin was issued a five-day suspension as a result of it was decided he had “knowingly misdirected” his rapid supervisor about his involvement in a car pursuit, in accordance with the data. Sprint-camera footage confirmed Hardin and a sheriff’s deputy partaking in a car pursuit after they'd been suggested to solely play a “assist position” to the Houston Police Division following a visitors cease.
A deputy who was within the car with Hardin informed a supervisor they'd not engaged within the pursuit, and the data point out Hardin was “reluctant” to right the deputy’s account. He later acknowledged the statements he gave his supervisor concerning the pursuit had been “considerably evasive and deceptive.”
Hardin was most not too long ago suspended and placed on probation earlier this yr, after an inside investigation into allegations that he had made lewd feedback to individuals working beneath him.
Whereas Hardin was doing a roll name as a supervisor, he informed a feminine deputy, “Don’t let me present you my dick is greater than yours” and made a hand gesture to replicate the dimensions of his penis, in accordance with deputy data. The remark was apparently a warning to his unit to not make any errors.
He additionally informed a feminine deputy that he would “eat that ass out,” which she took to imply that he would strongly self-discipline his unit.
One deputy who was current on the time stated, “I don’t know what sort of roll name you’re having” and left.
One lady stated she requested Hardin to repeat what he stated. She stated he regarded her within the eyes and repeated that he would “eat her ass out,” which she took as a sexual advance. She stated through the investigation that Hardin’s feedback had been “crude” and created a “hostile” work atmosphere and that she had “no belief” in him as a supervisor.
Hardin made these feedback in entrance of a number of individuals, in accordance with the report, and 7 deputies had been interviewed concerning the incident as a part of an inside investigation. One stated she didn't report Hardin’s statements initially due to “worry of retaliation.”
One other deputy stated that Hardin informed them, “Now that HR is gone, I can say what the fuck I wish to say.”
In the course of the investigation, Hardin stated he didn't bear in mind making the feedback however that if he had, he would have executed so jokingly.
Hardin was ordered to take sexual harassment coaching, positioned on a 180-day probation and suspended with out pay for 80 hours. He's interesting this most up-to-date disciplinary case with the division, and a listening to date with the Sheriff’s Civil Service Fee is ready for Oct. 19.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Workplace didn't reply to a request for touch upon Hardin’s probationary interval and checklist of suspensions.
Hardin was nonetheless on probation following the investigation into reviews of his lewd feedback on July 8 when he responded to a 911 name saying a person had stolen from a Greenback Common retailer and pushed a lady there.
Physique-camera footage exhibits Hardin chasing Brooks, 47, by a parking zone, pinning him to the bottom and beautiful him with a Taser. The Taser fell subsequent to Brooks’ face as he lay on the bottom. When Brooks grabbed for the stun gun, Hardin stated, “I'll fucking shoot you.”
The footage exhibits that Brooks didn't level the Taser towards the officer and that he let go of it whereas Hardin reached for his gun.
Hardin fired one shot, which struck Brooks within the neck and killed him, in accordance with an post-mortem report obtained by HuffPost. Brooks additionally suffered blunt trauma to his head and torso, in addition to scattered abrasions and contusions.
Brooks’ household and attorneys have known as for Hardin to be terminated from the division and be criminally charged.
Justin Moore, an legal professional representing the Brooks household, stated in a press release to HuffPost: “From what we see in Hardin’s personnel file, and what we see is left off of it ― such because the a number of officer-involved shootings and use of drive incidents which have both left residents useless or in essential situation, the Harris County Sheriff’s Workplace has no downside harboring deputies who lie and put residents’ lives in peril.
“There appears to be an unbelievable lack of institutional oversight with this company, and this might fairly presumably be the tip of the iceberg. I can solely think about what a deeper investigation into the Harris County Sheriff’s Workplace would uncover.”
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