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Pa. inmate charged with assaulting CO for fifth time in a month

The inmate has been charged with aggravated harassment by a prisoner, the fifth time in the past month he’s been charged with assaulting COs

Manuel Gamiz Jr.
The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A 27-year-old inmate at Lehigh County Jail was charged Monday with aggravated harassment by a prisoner, the fifth time in the past month that he’s been charged with assaulting correctional officers, according to court records.

Authorities say Jonathan Maisonet, from Allentown, has punched, kicked and spit on officers and most recently used a more disgusting method to assault them: throwing feces. He was first charged on April 23 and his most recent charges were filed Monday.

Maisonet had been serving 18 months in the county jail for retail theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to criminal complaints on the five charges:

He was first charged on April 23 for an incident two months earlier where he allegedly smacked a corrections sergeant in the head with a towel, court records say. The sergeant used his pepper spray, but Maisonet ran off.

The sergeant caught Maisonet, who began swinging at him. Two other officers arrived and helped take Maisonet into custody. The sergeant was left with a cut lip that required two stitches.

Three weeks later, Maisonet was receiving his medication and as the officer passed it to him, Maisonet punched him in the stomach.

On April 24, correctional officers were serving Maisonet with a warrant for the two earlier assaults when he spit on one of them. The officers handcuffed, shackled and secured Maisonet on a restraint chair so he could be arraigned.

When they were done with the arraignment, Maisonet was taken back to his cell where he began kicking at officers when they removed his leg shackles.

In the most recent two incidents, on May 11 and the other on Thursday, Maisonet allegedly threw feces at officers, court records say.

In the five cases, Maisonet is charged with three counts each of aggravated assault, simple assault and aggravated harassment by prisoner. His bail in the five cases was set at $80,000.

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©2019 The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)

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