Inmate at Fayette County Jail allegedly severely beaten by corrections officers
An inmate at Fayette County Jail was allegedly beaten by corrections officers and needed care beyond what Uniontown Hospital could provide.
Three corrections officers are on paid administrative leave after the alleged incident inside the jail in an intake area with no cameras on Oct. 8.
That inmate, Robert Stimmel, was released from the hospital on Monday night and is back at the jail. He had visible injuries to his face and head and a brain bleed that required treatment at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia.
"The injuries to him were severe," Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said. "He was days in the hospital for what happened."
The Uniontown Police Department picked Stimmel up on Oct. 8 on a bench warrant related to terroristic threats. Police said he was combative, resisted arrest and made comments indicating he would continue that behavior once he reached the jail.
They brought him to the jail and turned him over to corrections officers. The alleged beating happened during intake, where inmates undress, shower and receive jail clothing. There are no cameras in that area to record an encounter.
"We have to appreciate the job that correctional officers do, but this is not a place for retribution," Aubele said. "This is not a place for excessive force."
Angela Brown runs the Neighborhood Crime Watch Facebook page. After seeing the inmate's injuries, she posted the photograph and began asking questions.
"There's no justification from that," Brown said. "I don't care who it is. I don't care how bad they are out here in society. I don't care what drug they are on. Everyone has the right to human decency, especially by our law enforcement and COs. We hold them to a higher standard."
Aubele said investigators still have to determine whether the force used against Stimmel was justified or whether it crossed the line into a crime.
"I would say he suffered severe bodily injury," he said. "That could be anything up to and including aggravated assault or worse. But there is a wide range from aggravated assault to complete justice."
