A man slammed to the ground two years ago in the Dallas County jail is now suing in federal court.
County officials say the jailer misrepresented what happened and was immediately fired.
At the time of the incident, according to records based on video footage, Eric Colquitt holds a bag of his belongings in his right hand and a mattress in the left.
Detention service officer Adrian Deleon Hightower is walking him to another holding area in the jail.
Suddenly, he swings at Colquitt's left shoulder and slams him down, according to records based on video footage.
“I had to take him down to the ground, he turned on me,” Hightower told Dallas County jail staff, according to internal affairs records.
Civil rights attorney James P. Roberts said his 55-year-old client was blindsided.
"He was slammed on the ground from behind without any expectation that was going to happen," he said. "You can only imagine how badly that would hurt without being able to brace yourself.
A couple days later, North Tower Sgt. Kelly Frey, the third watch detention service supervisor, alleged in a complaint that Hightower violated the use of force code of conduct.
Hightower, a relatively new detention service officer, allegedly misrepresented what happened and the Dallas County Sheriff's Office immediately fired him after the complaint was filed and investigated.
Footage of the incident indicated that Colquitt was verbally and physically compliant.
"It appears to me, DSO Hightower grabbed Colquitt from the back and slammed him on the ground,” Frey's complaint said. “DSO Hightower’s actions put himself and his fellow officers in danger."
Attorneys say in court records that Hightower changed his story after investigators reviewed the video.
“In an effort to cover up his excessive use of force, Defendant Hightower wrote a disciplinary case against Mr. Colquitt claiming that Mr. Colquitt refused to go to a holdover cell and threatened him," they wrote. "A Sergeant watched the video and pointed out to Defendant Hightower that Mr. Colquitt did not make it to the holdover tank due to Defendant Hightower’s excessive use of force.
The court filing went on to say that "in response to a sergeant pointing out his lie, Defendant Hightower went back and changed his report claiming that Mr. Colquitt threatened him.”
Four months later, Hightower admitted he was wrong.
"I did not use my best judgment when handling the incident...," Hightower said in an affidavit. "I should have alerted a supervisor once the inmate told me he wasn't going to move...I should have cuffed the inmate and proceeded with escorting the inmate to the holdover. I need more training in de-escalation and be more mindful of the decisions that I make moving forward in high stress situations.”
Hightower, then 33, had been making a little more than $50,000 a year while working at the jail for 2 1/2 years.
Colquitt had been arrested in January 2022 for busting the back window of a car in Oak Cliff, and was being held in jail for burglary of a vehicle.
His body still hurts since the body slam, Colquitt's lawyer said.
"His injuries were apparent right when it happened and he had to ask for medical attention," Roberts said. "He still suffers pain, the older you get, the longer these injuries last. And he's still taking medication to try and make things better."
Dallas County commissioners are reviewing settlement options and cannot discuss ongoing negotiations.
Sheriff's office spokesperson Doug Sisk said neither can jail and department staff.
"We are not able to comment at this time due to the possible litigation against the Sheriff’s Office," he said.
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