Friday, March 4, 2016

TDCJ Serious Incident Report Released on Officer Homicide

http://www.tdcjunion.com/research/telford_sir.pdf


By Staff Reporter

New Boston - Today the Texas Department of Criminal Justice publicly released the Serious Incident Review (SIR) on the murder of Officer Timothy Davison at the Telford Unit. 

Click here to read the Serious Incident Review


Here are several things the report indicated:
  • At the time of the incident the Telford Unit was 97 officers short with staffing levels at 430 correctional officers out of 527 correctional officer positions.  The data indicated the unit met 81.6% staffing levels, not calculating employee leave.  The report stated staffing levels were not a factor in this incident and recommended no action on correcting officer shortages.
  • Two officers were assigned to the E POD and 1 officer was assigned to E POD Picket of 12 building during the incident.
  • The offender was not properly restrained in hand restraints upon being escorted by Officer Davison from the E POD Section 4  dayroom to his assigned cell located at E-66 (Section 5).  The report indicated the restraints were not double locked. 
  • The second E POD rover assigned to assist Officer Davison was not within close proximity to the escort during the incident.  The offender was escorted from the Section 4 dayroom to his assigned cell E-66 in Section 5.  The second officer remained in E POD Section 4.
  • As Officer Davison and the offender approached the cell, Officer Davison reached to open the cell door.  The offender was able to get his left hand free from the restraints and punched Officer Davison in the face resulting in him falling to the floor.  The offender gained control of Officer Davison's tray slot bar and struck Officer Davison with the metal tray slot bar.  Officer Davison attempted to defend himself as he regained his footing, but fell again to the floor with the offender.  The offender struck Officer Davison multiple times in the head  and upper body after the offender regained his footing.  With Officer Davison appearing unconscious after multiple blows, the offender took Officer Davison's C.O.P. (Carry On Person) chemical agent can from him and picked up Officer Davison throwing him down the stairs.  The offender sprayed the C.O.P. chemical agents towards the entrance of the POD. 
  • The second officer assigned to E POD remained in Section 4 and failed to respond to her fellow officer being assaulted during the time of the incident.  The second officer resigned in lieu of disciplinary. 
  • The offender when interviewed stated Officer Davison was a good officer who did his job and was fair to the offender population.  Prior to the murder, the offender indicated he had no problems with Officer Davison.  The offender stated staff were complacent and "I had my reason."