16 Souza-Baranowski Inmates Charged With Assault For January Fight

click to expand

SHIRLEY (CBS) -- A grand jury charged 16 inmates at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley with assault Thursday in connection with a January fight that left four corrections officers injured, according to the Worcester County District Attorney's office. The Jan. 10 incident caused the maximum security prison to go into lockdown for weeks.

All 16 inmates were charged with two counts of assault and battery causing serious bodily injury and four counts of assault and battery on a corrections officer. Ten of the inmates face additional charges, including aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The jury handed down 109 indictments in connection with the case.

Surveillance video from the fight shows inmates surrounding a corrections officer and attacking him. When a responding officer tries to help, he is also attacked.

Earlier this month, lawyers for the inmates sued the state, claiming that after the fight, the inmates were beaten and tortured in retaliation and denied access to their lawyers. The DOC has denied the abuse claims.

All four corrections officers were hospitalized as a result of the fight, and only one has returned to work, the DA's office said.

The Department of Corrections released a statement Thursday afternoon: "DOC personnel work every day to provide a safe environment for inmates, staff, visitors, and volunteers. We are relieved that the injured officers are recovering and will support District Attorney Early's office with their investigation as necessary."

Thursday afternoon, state Sen. Dean Tran, whose district includes the prison, said charges don't go far enough.

"They get attacked everyday and they need our support," he said. "We're out here today not just to show our support for our law enforcement patrolling out streets, but our law enforcement in our prisons keeping us safe from these convicted criminals."

The inmates will be arraigned in Worcester Superior Court, but it is unclear when. The incident is still under investigation.

Inmates charged include:

Tabari Muhammed, 28

Frank Webb, 28

Marcus Muniz, 25

Steven Gonzalez, 39

Israel Perez, 25

Lennon Dossantos, 25

Jovani Molinari, 23

Giovanni Buchanan, 25

Carlos Bastos, 29

Elosko Brown, 33

Yamil Narvaez Arroyo, 24

Alexander Soto, 26

Jason Velez Acosta, 29

John Mentor, 33

Joshua Reyes, 28

Pedro Solis, 30