MacDougal-Walker correctional officer accused of beating inmate arrested – NBC Connecticut

State police have arrested a correctional officer at the MacDougal-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield on suspicion of beating an inmate.

Christopher Carlson, 32, was charged with third-degree assault.

He denies the allegations, the arrest warrant states.

The 15-page arrest warrant states that the charges relate to an incident on August 12 at the MacDougal-Walker Correctional Institution in which a fight broke out between inmates.

A correctional officer declared a “Code Blue” because of the fight, whereupon several members of the correctional staff responded and the inmates were ordered back to their cells.

When prison staff attempted to bring an inmate suspected of involvement in the incident into the correctional facility, the inmate began covering his cell window with a piece of paper and refused to remove it, according to police records.

The staff then used a chemical called “Cell Buster” and removed the inmate from the cell.

When the prisoner was taken out of the cell, he fell, several prison officers also fell and in a scuffle the prisoner’s left eye was injured, the arrest warrant states.

Witnesses reported that the inmate was injured when a correctional officer, later identified as Carlson, punched him in the face while he was “lying defenseless on the ground,” the warrant states.

Carlson was placed on leave and an investigation was launched.

He told investigators that during the incident, the inmate became agitated, said, “I’m going to kill you,” and withdrew from staff.

Then the prisoner fell and with him the servants.

When Carlson came to help, the inmate elbowed him in the temple, the warrant says, and Carlson tried to control the inmate’s arm.

In a video taken shortly before he was admitted to UConn Hospital, the inmate could be heard accusing staff of “kicking him in the face,” the arrest warrant states.

The inmate told investigators that he was agitated and verbally abused staff, but never made any direct threats.

He also said he was referring to the other inmate he was arguing with when he said something like, “I’m going to kill you,” the warrant states.

The inmate further said he did not resist the correctional officers, but they forced him to the ground, sprayed him with pepper spray and punched him in the face, the arrest warrant states.

During the investigation, several inmates and prison staff reported that the inmate was injured when a correctional officer repeatedly punched him in the face. According to the arrest warrant, some inmates identified Carlson as the person responsible.

Carlson told investigators he did not know how the inmate’s injury came from, but believed it occurred when the inmate hit his face on the concrete floor while staff were restraining him.

NBC Connecticut has reached out to the union and the state Department of Corrections for comment.

Carlson turned himself in Wednesday afternoon and his bail was set at $3,000.

He is due to appear in court on July 12.