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A now former private security officer who worked at one of the largest immigration detention centers in Texas is accused of assaulting a detained migrant who was already in handcuffs.
Charles Siringi, 66, was charged in federal court last week with deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury in the alleged assault of a detained man at GEO Group-owned Montgomery Processing Center, according to an affidavit obtained by HuffPost.
The Department of Homeland Security agent who wrote the affidavit said that on Mar. 21, Siringi grabbed the victim by the neck and throat before slamming him into a wall and dragging him across the room in an incident witnessed by another officer.
via Associated Press
The victim told the agent that Siringi had already handcuffed him prior to the assault and that he was being escorted into a small room, according to the affidavit. Upon entering the room, the victim recalled Siringi saying “you better get him before I do” just before the assault began.
The victim said he tucked his chin down to his chest because he was gasping for air, but Siringi did not remove his hands from his throat, the affidavit read.
The other officer in the room corroborated most of the victim’s account of the alleged assault. He told the agent that he attempted to handcuff the victim during the altercation, but realized the victim was restrained the whole time.
The other officer said he did not believe Siringi used appropriate force and that the victim was not resisting in any manner. He took the victim to get medical treatment, where staff reported the victim was bleeding and sustained two scratches on the back of his neck.
A spokesperson for ICE forwarded a statement by GEO Group to HuffPost, which confirmed Siringi is no longer employed by the company.
“We are committed to respecting the human rights and dignity of all individuals in our care, and we have a zero-tolerance policy with respect to staff misconduct,” the statement read. “Any such instances are investigated and addressed appropriately in accordance with GEO policy and those of our client.”
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Siringi was released on $10,000 bond on Tuesday, according to court records.
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