New Mexico jail officer accused of orchestrating attacks on inmates suffering from mental illness, report says

An officer at a New Mexico county jail has been accused of orchestrating attacks on two inmates who suffer from mental illness

An officer at a New Mexico county jail has been accused of orchestrating attacks on two inmates who suffer from mental illness (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

A corrections officer at a New Mexico county jail is accused of orchestrating attacks in the shower on two inmates who suffer from mental illness, according to a police report.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office incident report obtained by the Albuquerque Journal says that security camera footage showed inmates “attacking other inmates while under the supervision” of the officer, Nathan Shpiller.

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

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

Candace Hopkins, a spokesperson for the jail, also declined to comment, citing an ongoing internal investigation. Shpiller was removed from duty in August and is on paid leave while the department investigates.

Inmates who were involved in the attacks said they believed Shpiller targeted 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 footage showed Shpiller repeatedly pointing his pepper spray into the food port of the inmate's cell, the newspaper reported.

The incidents occurred in July, according to the report.