An incident on Saturday, April 19, at the Hamilton Township-based Atlantic County Justice Facility (ACJF) left one correctional officer with severe facial injuries after being beaten by an inmate.
According to police, Unique Tyson, 28, of Egg Harbor Township, who was an inmate of the ACJF, knowingly committed aggravated assault by repeatedly punching a corrections officer (CO) with a closed fist multiple times. According to the criminal complaint, the punches impacted the correctional officer’s left facial area, caused him to lose consciousness, and rendered him unable to protect himself, all within the secure perimeter of the ACJF.
The CO, per the affidavit of probable cause, was conducting a medication pass in the H through R housing units when he opened cell 10 to “assist medical staff” in giving Tyson his medication. According to police, the CO reached for the small plastic cup Tyson was holding after finishing his medication when Tyson lunged at him.
The affidavit stated that the CO “retreated toward cell 12” and was chased by Tyson. There, Tyson grabbed the CO and started “punching multiple times,” police said. The CO was the pushed against cell 11 door where he “threw 11 closed-fist punches to the officer’s left facial area.”
According to police, the CO lost consciousness and was unable to defend or protect himself during this time. The CO was then placed on a backboard and transported via ambulance to the hospital for injuries to his facial area, said police.
Both witness reports, body camera, and CCTV recordings confirmed the incident’s facts, police said. The officer’s name was withheld for the protection of the CO.
Tyson is charged with aggravated assault, a crime of the second degree. He will face a detention hearing on Friday, April 25.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
