TIPTONVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A former Tennessee corrections officer pleaded guilty to repeatedly punching an inmate and lying about it afterward.
Former Tennessee Department of Corrections officer Jonathan York, 33, pleaded guilty Tuesday to using unlawful force on an inmate and then conspiring to cover up the incident, The Department of Justice said in a news release.
The release said York admitted to beating an inmate on Feb. 1, 2019, in the mental health unit at the Northwest County Correctional Complex in Tiptonville. The assault was in retaliation after the inmate spit at officers earlier in the day, it said.
York told authorities he asked another officer to cover the surveillance camera while he punched the inmate around 30 times.
York also admitted that two other officers punched the inmate while York watched.