CONCOURSE — A corrections officer accused of repeatedly beating an inmate over the head with a radio has been arrested and charged with assault, city officials said.
Correction Officer Bradford Jones, 37, was caught on video attacking inmate Malik Ellis with a radio on Wednesday around 12:30 p.m. inside a holding cell in the Bronx County Hall of Justice, according to the criminal complaint.
The attack occurred after Ellis threw a cup of liquid toward Jones, who then used his keys to enter the cell, despite the fact that two other officers were already trying to restrain Ellis, according to the Department of Investigation.
Ellis was taken to the hospital with cuts on the back of his head, his nose, his right eyebrow and his lip and also suffered multiple fractures as well, court documents show.
He had been in custody on charges of robbery, grand and petit larceny, menacing, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property, and he had previously gotten in trouble for throwing liquid at and trying to punch a correction officer in 2013, according to court documents.
Jones has been charged with four counts of assault, criminal possession of a weapon and misconduct, according to the criminal complaint.
He had worked for DOC since November 2008 and has been suspended because of his arrest, city officials said.
"This type of brutality will not be tolerated," DOI Commissioner Mark Peters said in a statement, stressing that a new partnership between the DOI, the Bronx District Attorney's office and the Department of Correction allowed them to arrest Jones quickly and will let them "aggressively crack down on lawlessness at Rikers."
DOC Commissioner Joseph Ponte said in a statement that he was "deeply troubled" by the attack, stressing that the majority of correction officers do their jobs well and that the department was working to build a culture of safety for both officers and inmates.
"This incident was unacceptable," he said. "Everyone in our custody deserves to be treated in a just and humane manner."
Bail for Jones was set at $40,000, and he is due back in court on April 12, officials said.
He is represented by attorney Steve Isaacs, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The violence unleashed by the defendant and captured on video is stomach-turning, and even more shocking because he is a public servant sworn to uphold the law," Bronx DA Darcel Clark said in a statement. "He viciously dispensed street justice inside the courthouse, where everyone should expect to be treated fairly and with civility."
