CLEARFIELD – Three guards have been accused of assaulting an inmate at the Clearfield County Jail.
William B. McGroarty, 59, Brian Eugene Showalter, 31, and Jason Hubert Troxell, all of Clearfield, have been charged with obstructing administration of law, official oppression, simple assault, criminal attempt/simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, all second-degree misdemeanors, and summary harassment. Their preliminary hearings have been scheduled for Jan. 10 during centralized court at the jail.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, at approximately 1:30 p.m. June 15, Clearfield-based state police were contacted by Jail Warden Greg Collins concerning an inmate assault.
Collins reported that on June 7, several guards assaulted an inmate during an escort. When Cpl. Adam Gibson arrived at the jail, he was provided with several written statements, a list of suspects and or witnesses, photographs of the inmate’s injuries and surveillance video.
Video surveillance confirmed the warden’s report. Collins said the inmate had refused to “lock up,” the guards ultimately responded to the D-Block and removed the inmate. During the incident, the inmate was verbally resistant but otherwise compliant.
Upon further investigation, Gibson found that the guards had forcefully cuffed the inmate. They had allegedly bent him forward at his waist and quickly rushed him from the block, striking his head/shoulder off the doorway.
They allegedly continued to slam the inmate’s head into doorways and walls, as they escorted him from the D-Block through the jail to the booking area.
The inmate suffered a laceration to the top of his head, bruising to his left eye, swelling to his cheek, nose and upper lip and a cut to the inside of his lip. He was treated in the infirmary but continues to complain of headaches, according to the affidavit.