2 deputies fired after inmate mistakenly released from jail: Sheriff's office

Two deputies have been fired after an inmate was mistakenly released from a New Orleans jail, authorities said Thursday.

Khalil Bryan, 30, was released from the Orleans Justice Center on July 25 due to a "human error," and not a system failure, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office. He remains at large, the sheriff's office said.

Bryan was let out by mistake when he was confused with another inmate with the same last name during the jail's overnight release process and his identity was not properly verified, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office. The human error was "compounded by inadequate protocol adherence," it said.

Two deputies were terminated for a "severe breach of duty and process," the sheriff's office said. Their names have not been released. Five staff members have additionally been suspended "due to procedural failures and negligence" during the identity verification process, it said.

The sheriff's office said it is further implementing changes, including additional training on the release process and a mandatory review of all inmate releases by a supervisor, in response to the incident.

"This incident reflects a failure in execution, and we are taking full accountability," Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said in a statement on Thursday. "The people of New Orleans deserve a jail that operates with precision and professionalism."

The Orleans Justice Center is the same jail where 10 inmates escaped in May. One remains on the lam.

At the time of his mistaken release, Bryan was being held on charges including possession of stolen property, drug paraphernalia and resisting an officer, according to the New Orleans Police Department. He also has an active warrant for aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic abuse, child endangerment and home invasion, it said.

He has a "violent criminal history," including aggravated burglary, aggravated assault with a weapon and aggravated criminal damage to property, according to New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.

The error was discovered at 11:10 a.m. on July 25, about 10 hours after he was mistakenly released, according to the sheriff's office. The public was informed at 3:45 p.m. that day, it said.

The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office said Thursday it made a "calculated" decision not to alert the public right away regarding his mistaken release and instead quietly began looking for Bryan at known addresses to avoid tipping him off, as well as notified other agencies and the victim.

Authorities also did not deem him to be an "immediate threat to the public" because he was in custody "primarily for non-violent charges," the sheriff's office said.

The inmate with whom Bryan was confused was ultimately released shortly before 11 p.m. on July 25, the sheriff's office said.

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams previously said his office is not ruling out pursuing possible charges against the deputies who let Bryan walk free -- saying, "We will follow the leads."

"This is a deeply troubling incident that underscores the ongoing systemic issues surrounding the exercise of custody and control over detained individuals," Williams said in a statement last week. "The failure to properly confirm the identity of an inmate prior to release is an unacceptable lapse that presents a real and immediate risk to public safety."