New Mexico prison official accused of orchestrating attacks on inmates, report says

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A corrections officer at a New Mexico county jail is accused of orchestrating shower attacks on two inmates suffering from mental illness, according to a police report.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office incident report, obtained by the Albuquerque Journal, says security camera footage showed inmates “assaulting 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, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and requires daily medication. She called the allegations “appalling.”

Shpiller, an officer at the jail since November 2022, declined to comment. No charges have been filed against him.

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

Inmates involved in the attacks said they believed Shpiller targeted two inmates because of their mental health problems, 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.

According to the report, the incidents occurred in July.