CLEARFIELD – A Tyrone man is facing charges for allegedly assaulting his cellmate at the Clearfield County Jail.
Collin Bradley Gardner, 24, is charged by Officer Elliott Neeper of the Lawrence Township police with felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor simple assault, strangulation and disorderly conduct and summary harassment.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred Nov. 24 at the jail, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed with the office of Magisterial District Judge Mike Morris.
At the nurse’s station, Neeper saw the victim had a bloody lip, broken nose, swollen face and bloody hands. He also had bruising on his forearms, neck and lower back from having allegedly been kicked and stomped on by Gardner.
The victim said he’d been assaulted by his cellmate, and because they’d just met, he wasn’t able to provide any identifying information. Neeper later identified the victim’s cellmate as Gardner.
He said he’d just been placed in the cell, and a short time later, he was assaulted for reasons unknown to him. He said he was near the cell gate when the assault began.
He said Gardner punched him in the ribs, then his face with a closed hand. As the attack continued, he said he was “choked out,” making it difficult for him to breathe and causing him to lose consciousness for about 15 seconds.
Following the assault, the victim said Gardner pleaded with him not to tell jail staff what had occurred. This, he said, was hard not to do, as he was bleeding on the floor.
During a security check, a corrections officer located the victim and asked what had occurred. The victim wouldn’t explain and was taken to the nurse’s station. The CO contacted a sergeant.
The victim was transported to Penn Highlands Clearfield Hospital for treatment and reportedly diagnosed with nasal fractures, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
On Nov. 25, Neeper attempted to interview Gardner regarding the assault. However, he declined to answer any questions, and stated that he wanted to speak with his attorney.
On Monday, Gardner had his preliminary hearing continued until Jan. 13, 2021 during centralized court. His bail is currently set at $25,000 monetary.
