Police Brutality: Jailers Broke Man’s Leg and Hip, Lawsuit Says

A man named Johnny Tijerina is suing Williamson County, saying jailers hurt him badly while he was in jail. He says they broke his leg and hip and didn’t help him for hours, even though he was screaming in pain. The lawsuit claims this was a case of police brutality.

The incident happened on October 26, 2023, when Tijerina was arrested for driving while intoxicated and taken to the Williamson County Jail. Tijerina, who has anxiety, a learning disability, and is hard of hearing, became confused about signing a form during booking. When he asked for help, the jailers accused him of not cooperating.

According to the lawsuit, the jailers overreacted. They brought a special chair to restrain him, even though he wasn’t resisting. They cuffed his hands behind his back and led him to a cell. At least six jailers yelled commands at him, including telling him to take off his clothes. Tijerina told them he couldn’t do that because his hands were cuffed. Instead of helping him, one of the jailers shouted, “take him down.” Officer Andrew Rodriguez then swept Tijerina’s leg out from under him, causing him to fall.

The lawsuit says that Rodriguez and three other guards piled on top of him, even though he wasn’t a threat. Tijerina cried out, saying his leg was broken, but the jailers ignored him. They forced him to stand on his injured leg, dragged him to the restraint chair, and forced him into it, folding him onto his broken hip.

The lawsuit says the jailers left Tijerina in the chair for hours, ignoring his screams for help. He even passed out from the pain. When he woke up, he kept begging for medical attention, but they still didn’t help him. Finally, after several hours, they took him out of the chair and put him in a cell, where he continued to suffer.

When Tijerina was released the next day, he went to the hospital. Doctors found that he had a broken leg and a fractured hip. The lawsuit also points out that this wasn’t the first time Williamson County jailers used restraint chairs inappropriately. The county has already settled three other cases where people were placed in these chairs without good reason.

This lawsuit highlights a case of police brutality, where officers in power used excessive force and ignored a person’s basic needs for help.