A New Mexico prison officer is accused of organizing attacks on inmates

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A corrections officer at a New Mexico county jail is accused of orchestrating the beatings of two inmates with mental illness, according to a police report.

Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office incident report obtained by the Albuquerque Journal says surveillance footage shows inmates “assaulting other inmates while under the supervision” of officer Nathan Spiller.

Johanna Sandoval, the mother of one of the inmates, told the newspaper that her son, 61, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and requires daily medication. She said the allegations were “appalling”.

Spiller, an officer at the jail since November 2022, declined to comment. He has not been charged.

Candace Hopkins, a prison spokeswoman, also declined to comment, citing the ongoing internal investigation. Spiller was fired in August and is on paid leave while the department investigates.

Inmates involved in the attacks said they believed Spiller targeted the two inmates because of their mental health issues, the newspaper reported.

According to the incident report, the officer is also accused of using pepper spray on one of the inmates while he was alone and naked in his cell. Security camera footage shows Spiller repeatedly pointing his pepper spray into the food port of the inmate’s cell, the newspaper reported.

According to the report, the incidents occurred in July.