HARRISBURG, PA — Attorney General Dave Sunday, in coordination with the Pennsylvania State Police, announced charges against a former corrections officer at the State Correctional Institution at Forest following allegations that he assaulted two fellow officers earlier this year.
Garrett Smead, 29, of Warren, was charged Monday with multiple misdemeanor counts, including indecent assault, unlawful restraint, indecent exposure, and related offenses.
According to investigators, the incidents occurred on May 21, when Smead allegedly handcuffed two recently hired officers in separate encounters, restrained them, and committed sexual assaults. In one instance, authorities said, Smead wrote “Property of G. Smead” on the victim’s body. Both victims remained handcuffed until other officers arrived and released them.
“The allegations in this case are unacceptable for anyone, let alone a corrections officer with a sworn duty to secure our prisons and protect our communities,” Attorney General Sunday said. “Anytime an officer is charged with a crime, it negatively impacts the trust that we rightly show to the honorable members of law enforcement. I commend the Pennsylvania State Police for a sound investigation that will ensure the defendant is held accountable for this dehumanizing behavior.”
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Stephen Sliger of the Criminal Prosecutions Section.
All charges are allegations. A suspect, arrestee, or defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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