INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Sheriff's Office confirmed two deputies were fired following an investigation into the death of Deputy John Durm in July.
The two deputies, who have not been identified, were let go "involving job performance on July 10, 2023," when an inmate, 34-year-old Orlando Mitchell, allegedly attacked Durm outside of the Community Justice Campus after Durm picked Mitchell up from a hospital visit, the sheriff's office said.
13News reviewed the Marion County Sheriff's Office's general orders and found the office possibly violated its own policies and procedures.
The policy states, "It shall be the policy of the Marion County Sheriff's Office, Jail Division, to provide the necessary level of supervision and control for inmates who must be transported."
On July 10, Durm was the only person transporting Mitchell to Eskenazi Hospital.
The policy also says, "Escorts shall be accomplished utilizing either two or one deputies, dependent upon the type of transport and custody level of the inmate."
It goes on to state, "High-risk transports shall entail a transport team comprised of at least two CERT members. Transports such as a non-emergency transport to Eskenazi Hospital, shall utilize two jail deputies."
Officials told 13News surveillance video shows Mitchell attacking Durm from behind, choking the deputy with the chain from his handcuffs — which was connected to a belly chain — but the belly chain was no longer around his waist.
Criminal justice experts said security protocols are in place for a reason.
"It's to protect everyone. It's to protect those incarcerated. It's to protect those who work there and to protect the community," said Eric Lambert, faculty member in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Northwest.
Lambert also worked at the Federal Bureau of Prisons and spent most of his time at a maximum security prison.
"In most correctional agencies, one would have been armed that doesn't come in direct contact with this person. The other one would have been making sure they're secure, making sure they're moving them, making sure the handcuffs are in the back so then you cannot, if you notice them bring it up and forward, you cannot strangle anyone," Lambert said.
RELATED: Criminal justice experts weigh in on jail transport policies and procedures in Marion County
Some experts said transport procedures are critical.
"There's nothing that's better than having two or three officers moving a high-security prisoner," said Marc Bullaro, who worked as an assistant deputy warden at New York's Rikers Island jail for 29 years. He was also an adjunct assistant professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
"When you violate your own procedures, you set yourself up for civil liability, not to mention increase the chances of things going wrong," Bullaro said.
According to the sheriff's office, the overall investigation is ongoing.
