A Northern California prosecutor has charged four sheriff's deputies with encouraging maximum-security prisoners to throw feces and urine at each other.
The Alameda County district attorney announced Tuesday that each deputy faces multiple assault charges.
The deputies were arrested last week after an inmate wrote a letter to a local newspaper describing alleged mistreatment at the Santa Rita Jail in suburban San Francisco.
One deputy resigned and three others have been placed on administrative leave after Sheriff Gregory Ahern launched an investigation in January. The three on leave are 26-year-old Sarah Krause, 23-year-old Justin Linn and 27-year-old Erik McDermott, while Stephen Sarcos resigned.
It's unknown if they are represented by attorneys. The Deputy Sheriffs' Association of Alameda County didn't respond to phone and email inquiries.
