A former detention officer with the McClain County Jail in Purcell, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to deliberately creating a substantial risk of serious harm to a pretrial detainee’s physical safety, thereby violating the pretrial detainee’s constitutional civil rights, officials announced Thursday.According to court documents and admissions, on April 21, 2019, Kyle Tecumseh, 25, moved a pretrial detainee, B.B., into a jail cell with a senior United Aryan Brotherhood (UAB) gang member.
Tecumseh knew was angry and posed a danger to B.B.
Thereafter, Tecumseh allowed another detention officer to move several more UAB gang members into the cell with B.B. and the senior UAB gang member. The UAB gang members then physically attacked B.B., as Tecumseh knew likely to occur.
“The FBI understands that working in a correctional institution is stressful and dangerous work, and the vast majority of the men and women working in these institutions do their jobs honorably on a daily basis,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “When an officer violates the rights of detainees in their care, it erodes public trust in these important positions and damages the reputation of the hard-working officers who continue to serve.”
Tecumseh faces up to 12 months imprisonment and a $100,000 fine. In addition, according to court documents, Tecumseh never agreed again to seek employment in any law enforcement capacity and to pay the victim any owed restitution.
The court will set a sentencing date in about 90 days.
The Oklahoma City FBI Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry for the Western District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.