A Camden County corrections officer faces criminal charges for official misconduct and aggravated assault after he allegedly attacked an inmate at the Camden County Jail.
According to law enforcement, the 43-year-old suspect assaulted the inmate on October 27, 2015. Although Camden County prosecutors have not indicated what might have prompted the attack, they said that the suspect kicked the victim and stomped on the victim’s torso. Moreover, the inmate was reportedly handcuffed during the assault.
After the incident, the suspect filed an official incident report. However, the report did not provide any details about the nature of the attack. When Camden County Corrections Department officials conducted a “routine review” of written reports and video surveillance footage, they learned about the assault. Corrections department officials then alerted the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, which opened an investigation into the suspect.
The suspect, who lives in Pennsauken and works as a sergeant for the Camden County Department of Corrections, was placed under arrest following an investigation. He has been charged with numerous crimes, including official misconduct, aggravated assault, and simple assault.
If the suspect is ultimately convicted of aggravated assault, he faces significant criminal penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b), aggravated assault may be classified as a second degree crime when the offender purposely causes serious bodily injury under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life. A conviction on second degree aggravated assault charges could result in a sentence of 5-10 years in NJ State Prison.
After being arrested and processed, the suspect secured his release by posting a $50,000 bail amount. He will need to make an appearance in Camden County Superior Court in order to answer the charges against him.
For further information about this case, check out the NJ.com article, “N.J. Corrections Officer Allegedly Stomped Subdued Prisoner.”