DALLAS — A juvenile officer turned himself in and was booked into jail for allegedly using excessive force against a juvenile in custody, according to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
On Aug. 29, 2022, former juvenile supervision officer Michael Leopold Richards, Jr. surrendered himself to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and was booked into the Dallas County Jail under an arrest warrant obtained by the Office of Inspector General.
The arrest warrant for Richards, 49, was issued for the offense of "Official Oppression," according to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. Official Oppression is a Class A Misdemeanor under Texas Penal Code Section 39.03, which if convicted, is punishable by confinement in the Dallas County Jail for a term not to exceed one year and/or a fine up to $4,000.
This arrest comes after an investigation conducted by inspectors with the Office of Inspector General of an incident that occurred in July of 2022. It was alleged Richards used excessive force against a juvenile in custody resulting in bodily injury while he worked at the Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center, in Dallas County. This case will be prosecuted by the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
The Office of Inspector General is the independent law enforcement agency that is statutorily responsible for investigating criminal allegations involving juveniles, employees, facilities, contractors, or programs connected to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
Anyone can report allegations of misconduct to the Incident Reporting Center by emailing a complaint to TJJD.IRC@tjjd.texas.gov, or by calling a 24-hour-a-day toll free hotline 1-866-477-8354.
Historical Texas Juvenile Justice Department incident data can be found here.
