January 9, 2007
CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) - The Lake County sheriff has suspended three more jail guards in connection with the beating of an inmate awaiting transfer to a state prison for a murder conviction.
That brings to nine the number of guards suspended with pay as authorities investigate the attack on Tommy Ford, 41.
Sheriff Roy Dominguez did not release the names of the guards.
Ford was hospitalized in intensive care following the Dec. 26 attack in the county jail.
Dominguez would not disclose the extent of Ford's injuries or information about the beating. He would only say Ford that was hospitalized for "several days" and was in the jail's medical unit on Friday.
Dominguez said jail staffers attacked Ford after he cursed guards who were escorting him to see a visitor.
Ford was convicted of murder in October and sentenced to 50 years in prison. He was being held at the jail awaiting transfer to a state prison.
Dominguez said his office was looking into the possibility of a cover-up because a report on the incident did not contain information about the beating.