Possible Harassment of Deputy Is Investigated

The San Diego County district attorney’s office is investigating whether a sheriff’s deputy was harassed after being interviewed in the grand jury inquiry into allegations of brutality against inmates at County Jail.

Steve Casey, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said Wednesday that the satellite investigation was begun after someone last week vandalized the locker belonging to Deputy Jim Goodrich at the El Cajon jail. During the incident, someone put shoe polish on Goodrich’s clothing, Casey said.

“The undercurrent to this is the ongoing investigation to the jails,” he said.

Casey declined, however, to say whether Goodrich has appeared before the grand jury to testify about allegations of brutality against inmates. But a source close to the grand jury probe said Goodrich was interviewed by an investigator in the field.

Casey said the satellite investigation has yet to establish harassment. “Depending on the context, it could be as simple as malicious mischief, or range to witness intimidation,” he said.

A spokeswoman for the U. S. attorney’s office declined to say whether her office had begun an investigation into the incident as well. Federal authorities are conducting a parallel investigation the allegations of brutality.