A guard at the Milwaukee County Children’s Detention Center was charged Wednesday with physically abusing a juvenile who complained that a hair was in his food, according to a criminal complaint.
George E. Mack, 61, of Milwaukee faces up to six years in prison if convicted.
Mack had no longer been working as a guard in the weeks since the incident and retired as of Wednesday, according to his attorney, Jonathan C. Smith. County officials did not immediately return calls for comment on Mack’s status.
On June 8, Mack was working as a juvenile detention officer at the detention center on W. Watertown Plank Road when a 15-year-old being held there complained to Mack about the hair, according to a criminal complaint.
“That’s just more protein,” Mack said, according to the juvenile.
A short time later, Mack lunged across the table and tried to grab a spoon out of the juvenile’s hand, the complaint said. The juvenile pushed back from the table and Mack approached him, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him on the ground, the complaint said.
The incident was captured on video. The county sheriff’s office, which investigated the case, is not releasing the video.
Smith said he had not seen evidence in the case, including the video.
“Certainly that will tell a story, but video usually doesn’t tell the whole story because you don’t have context and the words that were spoken,” Smith said. “Mr. Mack has a different take on the allegations. While we remain open to discussions with the district attorney’s office, at this point I suspect we will be challenging their assertions.”
Mack has not appeared in court but is expected to soon.
