KALAMAZOO, Mich. — One deputy was fired and a Sergeant earned a demotion after seven jail inmates were left alone in a vehicle for nearly two hours earlier this month.
The inmates were left in a transport van in the Kalamazoo County jail's secure garage on May 12 without any corrections officer overseeing them. An internal investigation by the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office found several staff members failed to follow department policies.
After being left inside the van for roughly two hours, one of the seven people broke through a security window on the vehicle. That allowed them to access the locks on the van, with all seven exiting into the garage.
One of the inmates found an intercom and called for help. Deputies then responded and provided medical and mental health care.
One deputy involved in leaving the people in the van was found to have violated the written directives of the jail. They are no longer employed at the sheriff's office. Another two deputies were assigned counseling for violations.
A Sergeant responsible for supervising jail staff was also found to have violated the jail's directives. That supervisor was demoted to the rank of deputy and will received additional training, per the sheriff's office.
A set of new procedures to prevent this kind of situation from happening again has been put in place, according to the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Richard Fuller committed to further evaluation of jail protocols in a press release.
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