New York prison guards accused of lying to cover up unprovoked attack on inmate

Prosecutors announced Tuesday that three city corrections officers are being charged with covering up an attack on a Rikers Island inmate by one of them.

Carl Williams, 31, Roy Dewar, 58, and Jatan Das, 64, were charged with misconduct and multiple falsification of business records, Bronx District Attorney Darsel Clark said in a press release.

Williams also received a slap in the face on one count of assault for allegedly punching an inmate in the face on October 14, 2021 at the Otis Bantum Correctional Center, the district attorney’s office said.

Dewar and Das observed the unprovoked attack on CCTV footage, but submitted false reports saying that the prisoner was being aggressive in order to justify the use of force, as alleged by prosecutors.

“We must demand high standards from corrections officers,” Clarke said. “Just as the alleged violence will not be tolerated, there will be no cover-up, especially during this turbulent time on Rikers Island.”

DOC Commissioner Louis A. Molina called the allegations against corrections officers “unacceptable” but also criticized the district attorney’s office for waiting so long for them to be charged.

“Obviously, action should have been taken closer to the time this incident occurred. Waiting more than a year to file these charges is unacceptable. Timely and meaningful action is needed if sustainable reforms are to take hold. The behavior approved here is unacceptable and is a violation of the oath and duty of the officers to this city and our agency,” Molina said.

Union president Benny Boschio also criticized the delay in filing charges and said that “the case is driven more by the politics of our times than facts.

“In addition, these kinds of charges have historically been dealt with within the Department of Corrections disciplinary system, rather than being turned into a criminal case and a media circus,” Boscio said.

Williams’ attorney declined to comment, and attorneys for the other two officers did not return calls.

They are due back in court on April 13.