COAL TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A state prison inmate has been charged with multiple felony offenses involving a Nov. 11 assault of a correctional officer at SCI-Coal Township who suffered serious injuries.
Brandon Nathaniel Moody, 25, a former inmate at SCI-Coal Township who is now incarcerated at SCI-Mahanoy, is charged by Trooper James McCormick of state police at Stonington with spitting in the face of Correctional Officer Robert Lester Houseknecht, and repeatedly punching the officer in the face, head, neck and back, causing him to suffer a concussion, bleeding on the brain and extensive swelling and bruising on his face, head and hands.
Police said the assault occurred at 8:19 p.m. Nov. 11 at an officer's station at SCI-Coal Township.
Houseknecht's injuries required emergency room treatment at a local hospital. He has since been discharged from the hospital, but reportedly has not yet been able to return to work.
According to a criminal complaint filed at the office of Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III, Moody, who is serving a life sentence, approached the victim and asked him to retract a misconduct report he wrote against the inmate. When Houseknecht told Moody he couldn't retract the report, Moody allegedly spit in his face and assaulted the officer.
The assault ended when other correctional officers arrived at the officer's station and restrained Moody, who was later transferred to SCI-Mahanoy.
Moody is charged with felonies of assault by a life prisoner, aggravated assault, assault by a prisoner and aggravated harassment by a prisoner, misdemeanors of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, and a summary of harassment.
Copyright 2012 - The News-Item, Shamokin, Pa.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
