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Dallas County juvenile officer put teen in chokehold
The Dallas County juvenile service officer who was fired after allegedly assaulting a teenage detainee has been identified. FOX 4 has also learned more about what happened.
DALLAS - The Dallas County juvenile service officer who was fired after allegedly assaulting a teenage detainee has been identified. FOX 4 has also learned more about what happened.
Teen's Family Seeks Justice
What's new:
The teenager is out of the hospital and back in custody of Dallas County. Meanwhile, his family wants people to see the photos as their frustration has led them to hire their own attorney.
The Accused and the Allegations
35-year-old Stephen Puzio is being held in the Dallas County jail on a charge of aggravated assault by a public servant. Accused of putting a teenager in a chokehold and stepping on the teenager's face.
Stephen Puzio (Dallas County Jail)
The backstory:
The alleged assault happened last month at the Lyle B. Medlock Youth Treatment Center.
The facility is for teenage boys ages 13 to 17 who have a court order for a secure and highly structured setting for specialized treatment.
Dallas County juvenile detention employee arrested for assault
A young person being held in a Dallas County juvenile detention facility was allegedly assaulted by an employee. The teen received medical attention. The employee was arrested and fired that same day.
The injured teen reportedly received medical treatment and was injured in the custody of the Dallas County juvenile department.
Pictures from a Dallas hospital show the injuries to the 15-year-old. His eye swollen shut, chipped teeth and what looked like a footprint on his face.
Puzio was arrested and fired that same night.
State juvenile department officials confirmed a very active investigation.
What Investigators Saw
Dig deeper:
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, a 15-year-old detainee was hospitalized on Sept. 21 with a bloody lip, chipped front teeth, and an eye that was swollen shut. In a photo taken prior to him being transported to Children's Medical Center, it appeared that he had a foot marking on his face.
Puzio allegedly told investigators that the teen had fallen off his bunk bed and injured himself. However, the investigators saw something completely different when they reviewed video from inside the facility.
The video showed Puzio and the teen watching TV together. The teen appeared to touch Puzio's head. The two stood up from their chairs and then the teen ran away, the affidavit states.
After catching up with the teen, the affidavit states that Puzio appeared to place him in a chokehold for about 12 seconds. The teen appeared to lose consciousness and then fell to the ground. Puzio stepped over him and appeared to step on his head.
When the teen regained consciousness, he walked away holding his head.
Investigators questioned the 15-year-old at the hospital and said his story matched what they saw in the video.
The teen told investigators that he was playing around with Puzio and was trying to touch his bald head, but that made him mad.
He claimed Puzio punched him in the stomach, put him in a chokehold, and demanded he apologize. But the teen said he couldn’t say he was sorry because he had a hard time breathing.
Puzio declined to speak to detectives after being arrested, the affidavit states.
Dallas County makes dramatic changes at juvenile detention center
The Dallas County Juvenile Director said he’s made changes after a state investigation found problems with how the detention center was being run, how juveniles were being treated and neglected, and even the condition of the building itself.
What they're saying:
During this week's Commissioner's Court meeting, Dallas County Commissioners had lots of questions about what happened and how it could happen.
Juvenile Director H. Lynn Hadnot was limited in the scope of what he could say, but assured the commissioners that his team is working to make sure juveniles in Dallas County custody are safe and protected.
"Obviously, any time you have questionable incidents or things that occur, it requires a swift response and appropriate action. And I can assure you we will be doing that," Hadnot told FOX 4's Shaun Rabb while giving him a tour of the Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center, which has undergone changes.
Over the past few months, Hadnot and his staff have been cleaning house – both physically and figuratively – because of a state investigation that found problems with how the detention center was being run, how juveniles were being treated and neglected, and even the condition of the building itself.
The Legal Battle Begins
What's next:
Puzio bonded out of jail and hired an attorney.
FOX 4 has reached out to them and is still waiting for an official statement. But again, this is still an active investigation.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Dallas County jail, an arrest warrant affidavit, and past news coverage.