Deputy Fired After Washington County Jail Beating
By: KNWA News
Updated: August 11, 2012
According to Kelly Cantrell with the county, Cpl. Tina Donahue was terminated Friday in response to beating incident.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the attack happened on the afternoon of Friday, July 13th as Officer Thomas Trimberger escorted the inmate to the shower.
Surveillance video shows the inmate, Oscar Cortez, shoving the officer, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on a table.
Cortez can then be seen repeatedly punching the near-unconscious officer in the head.
Trimberger remained on the ground for several minutes before more officers were able to arrive and detain Cortez.
Cantrell says normal protocol would have required at least two detention officers monitoring Cortez because of his attempts to assault officers in the recent past.
The Sheriff's Office is investigating where the breakdown occurred and what can be done to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Officer Trimburger was treated at the hospital for his injuries and released later that day.
Donahue was in a supervisory position at the jail and Cantrell says she should have been supervising that particular situation. But according to records, she was using her cell phone at the time of the assault.There were 5 other people, in addition to Donahue, disciplined because of the incident; 6 total.
