Sgt. Arnold K. Seman and COII Manuel Quitano are assigned to the Corrections Emergency Response Team.
The court set a $5,000 bail for each of the accused whose travel documents were also confiscated.
The arrest order, which was signed on Aug. 7, was based on the complaint of inmate Robert Jake Palacios who said he was physically assaulted by Seman and Quitano.
In his declaration in support of the issuance of an arrest warrants, Investigator Juan Santos said “probable cause exists to support charges of assault and battery…and misconduct in public office.”
Based on his investigation, Santos learned that Palacios was requesting for transfer to another cell to avoid confrontation with other inmates.
After his request was turned down by the corrections officers, his other inmates egged Palacios “to make an obscene gesture with his middle finger to an officer” so that he could be transferred to another cell.
After Palacios made the obscene gesture, he was handcuffed and transferred to another cell.
A commotion then occurred which resulted in the “assault, yelling and slapping to the left side of the face of inmate Palacios.”
Inmates who witnessed what happened said Keman and Quitano assaulted Palacios.
