Texas sheriff fires 11 employees, suspends 6 over inmate's death in cell following investigation

A Texas sheriff fired 11 department employees and suspended six others without pay this week in connection with the death of an inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell in February after allegedly being hit multiple times by officers.

Simmons had been booked into jail on weapons charges a week earlier, according to Houston Public Media.  On the morning of Feb. 16, Simmons clogged his toilet with his clothes and after officers went in to clean the flooded cell they returned him to his cell naked, a policy violation that was allegedly not reported.  "When removing an inmates clothes, you're supposed to advise a supervisor, you're supposed to increase the rate in which you conduct visual checks, and you're supposed to provide a suicide smock," Major Thomas Diaz of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said, according to Houston Public Media. "None of those occurred."