The FBI announces an investigation into the deaths at the Harris County Jail.

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The FBI opens a civil rights investigation into the deaths of two men at the Harris County Jail.

IN statement Published Monday afternoon, the FBI announced that it was thoroughly investigating the deaths of Jaquari Simmons and Jacoby Pillow, who died in custody after an altercation with prison staff. Their deaths occurred almost two years apart.

Those investigations were carried out following a request last week from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the jail in downtown Houston, according to a press release Monday.

“I’m looking forward to the FBI’s results because we all need to know the whole truth if we want to improve our work and make the prison as safe as possible for everyone entrusted to our care,” Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a press release.

Simmons, a 23-year-old man who had mental health issues, was arrested in February 2021 on gun possession charges. A week later he was found dead in his cell. The Harris County Medical Examiner ultimately ruled Simmons’ death a homicide.

An investigation by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office found that officers used excessive force and failed to document it or intervene, beyond making false statements to investigators. As a result, the sheriff’s office suspended six detainees and fired 11 others. And earlier this month, a grand jury indicted Eric Niles Morales, a 6-foot-5 former warden who allegedly kneed the 5-foot-4 Simmons in the head, hit his head on a door, and then dropped him. on the head with manslaughter.

LaRonda Biggles, Simmons’ mother, told The Texas Tribune on Monday she was “thrilled and happy” to learn of the FBI investigation. She is not satisfied with the manslaughter charge against Morales, noting that it should have been more severe. She also said that more detention staff should be prosecuted in addition to being fired or removed from office.

“I just want justice for Jaquari,” Biggles said.

“I feel I owe him justice for him because he lay there and died alone. As a mom, it’s terrible. … I work really hard not to break and crack because it’s like reliving it all over again, but I’m glad to know that [investigations] Here.”

Pillow’s death in early January was the first death this year at the Harris County Jail.

The 31-year-old was initially arrested on misdemeanor charges and was scheduled to be released a few days later on $100 bail. But the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said he assaulted a jail officer, causing the staff to use “force” to restrain him.

The next morning, Pillow was found dead, although the sheriff’s office said he was examined by medical personnel before being returned to his cell.

The Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office have since launched separate investigations into Pillow’s death.

“The facts of this case are extremely disturbing and point to the nature and culture of prisoner abuse that we have seen previously in Harris County facilities,” Ben Crump, a lawyer representing the Pillow family, told FOX26 last month. “There is no legal excuse that this young man died due to arrest on misdemeanor charges just at the moment he was about to be released on bail.”

Crump also held a press conference earlier Monday urging the Justice Department to investigate deaths in prison.

Since Pillow’s death last month, at least three others have died in the Harris County Jail. They followed a record high number of deaths last year when 27 people died while in custody at the county jail. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo admitted last week that “the whole system does have problems” and announced initiatives to address overcrowding, but advocates say more needs to be done.

In a statement, the FBI said its investigations “will be conducted independently of any government investigations.” The agency also said it would not publicly share details of ongoing investigations in order to protect their “honesty and opportunity.”

“These investigations will be honest, thorough and impartial,” the FBI said in a statement.

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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

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