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| Interrupted "Gunning" in the shower leads to a violent attack on an employee--now what happens to this inmate? What additional time will this individual face for beating up an officer, sending him to the hospital? |
What will happen to the inmate in our jail that attacked and beat our employee, the jail corrections officer? That is a question I pondered when I heard about the horrific event that happened last week at the jail. After the news reports on the incident--I'm sure even more are wondering about this.
Apparently, the officer was following standard procedure as a nurse was about to enter the spaces--the showers are cleared of inmates prior to the entrance of the nurses---for everyone's benefit, comfort, and safety.
One inmate, apparently, "wasn't finished" and refused to leave the shower. According to some who are familiar with what occurred, this particular inmate was "gunning" (masturbating in the open shower area) and didn't want to leave. Apparently he was hoping to get a glimpse of the nurse and to also potentially have the chance to expose his genetalia to the nurse.
This incident took place in an area of low level offenders, and so having the one officer clear the shower was not an unusual practice-according to what I have learned. (i.e. in areas of more serious offenders, two officers would clear the shower) But although this particular inmate didn't appear to have violent offenses on his rap sheet--many believe that a majority of these "nonviolent" offenders still may have the propensity for violence and may actually have histories of violence for which charges have not been proven in court. Regardless--the officer was following protocol, so far as I've been told.
When asked to leave the area and finish his "shower", a verbal altercation took place and the inmate refused to comply. Upon being given reiterated commands by the officer to leave the shower area, the inmate attacked the officer before he could radio for assistance, punching him repeatedly and throwing him across the shower area and continuing to rain down blows on the officer who by this point was in a defensive posture.
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According to a source, the officer followed his training and was able to successfully deploy his pepper spray which sent the inmate reeling-- looking for a towel to wipe it from his eyes. And as the inmate was wiping the spray from his eyes, additional officers converged on the scene and the prisoner was restrained.
So I asked someone that would know what the sentence might be for an incarcerated individual who attacks a corrections officer--sending such an officer to the hospital. I'm told it depends on multiple factors, most important of which are the severity of the officer's injuries resulting from the battery. If a battery on a law enforcement officer is the charge by the State Attorney--then the maximum penalty is 5 years, as this would be a 3rd degree Felony. If the injuries are severe, disfiguring, and or resulted in
