Corcoran attack injures two guards

[Kathy]

Corcoran attack injures two guards

Inmate who was denied visits beats correctional officers with baton, officials say.

By Jason D. Plemons
The Fresno Bee

(Updated Tuesday, March 16, 2004, 4:50 AM)

An inmate attacked two guards Saturday at Corcoran State Prison because he was angry about losing some visitation privileges, prison officials said.

The attack sent both officers to the hospital, said Corcoran State Prison spokeswoman Sabrina Johnson.

Frank Johnson, in custody since 1995, attacked the guard who told him he was not allowed to have contact with his visitors during visiting hours after he broke several prison rules, Sabrina Johnson said.

The attack happened after the visiting area was closed for the day and Frank Johnson was sent to the yard area.

Instead of heading for the yard, Sabrina Johnson said, he walked into the visiting area.

"The officer was on the phone, and the inmate caught him off-guard," Sabrina Johnson said. Frank Johnson then grabbed the guard and threw him to the ground and went for the officer's baton.

Frank Johnson then started beating the officer with the baton as the officer pressed his panic button, calling other guards for help.

A second guard came in, and Frank Johnson hit him in the head with the baton, seriously injuring the officer, Sabrina Johnson said.

Frank Johnson then returned to attacking the first guard, kicking him, hitting him and choking him several times, Sabrina Johnson said, until more guards entered the room. After the other officers arrived, Frank Johnson walked away.

Both guards were taken to a local hospital, where one of them received 10 stitches to his head.

"The officers are both pretty shaken up and sore," Sabrina Johnson said. "But they are both home and recovering."

Frank Johnson's conviction record was unavailable from state prison officials Monday, but Sabrina Johnson said the man now faces attempted murder charges.

The attack comes several days after another guard was given a standing ovation by inmates after he performed the Heimlich maneuver to help dislodge a piece of meat from a choking inmate's throat, Sabrina Johnson said.

In that case, the guard noticed the inmate slamming himself against a wall as he tried to dislodge the meat.

The guard went over and performed the life-saving technique, and about 100 other inmates in the dining hall cheered and applauded, Sabrina Johnson said.

The reporter can be reached at jplemons@fresnobee.com or 622-2409.

[Kathy]

When I first read this Article I GASPED! I felt so bad for the Guard! AND THEN 2 minutes later I received this Message from someone who knew the Guard and Inmate:

Although I do not condone violence against any person, I do have to speak up about this incident.

The GUARD (Guzman) that was attacked is someone I observed from the first day he was assigned to visiting on “B” yard, in old Corcoran, until we left there a few years later. This GUARD was one of the most despicable people I’ve ever ran across. He misused his authority to harass and embarrass visitors and inmates alike.

He caused more terminations, suspensions and restricted visits then any other officer in the prison.

I feel for the prisoner and his family. Not for this anal excuse of a human being named Guzman!

I know that several of the ladies reading this will remember Guzman with as much distaste as I do.

I remember him asking a visitor to voluntarily terminate her visit for an extra kiss she gave to her husband, and not to return for one month, or he would write up her husband and give them a 6 months suspension. He did this only after she cried and pleated with him not to suspend their visits AGAIN! After she returned a month later, she found out he wrote a 115 anyway and had only played with her to indulge himself in his sick sense of humor. She was suspended for several months again...for a short kiss...That’s Guzman!

He had his favorite people to pick on. Frank Johnson was one of them. I know, because he was already being harassed and singled out by Guzman during the time we visited there. Can you really blame a man for finally blowing his cool after YEARS of being targeted for harassment?

So when you read this article, please remember that this man was truly “a bad cop”. Evil to the core!

[kreepsgirl]

Oh my god I know that gaurd! That is so crazy I have to tell my man. When we were at Corcoran on B yard he wasnt that bad to us, but he had his moments with my man.

[Fred_Bear]

Kathy,

So let me get this straight, because this Guzman can be (and from the sounds of things he normally is) a real jerk, it is okay that he was attacked. I may have mis-read the way your post was intended, but I don't believe just because someone is a jerk is any reason for him to be violently assaulted.

[lynne1214]

When I read the first post of the thread, the first thought in my head was, "what did this gaurd do to cause that inmate to lose it?" Then I read the secong post and sure enough my suspicions were confirmed. My husband and I are mild-mannered, non-violent, and relatively patient people, and even we have been driven at times to darn well near "go postal." No, I am not condoning beating anyone either, but darn it, sometimes a person just takes all they can take. I gave this example once before, perhaps it is a bad example, but I will give it again anyway: When a dog piddles on the floor and you spank it, most dogs take their punishment because they know they have done wrong. Walk by the dog and give it a good whack just because you can, and I gaurantee you, even the most even tempered dog is eventually going to bite you, because it's unjust!

I feel awful about this situation. Chances are the inmate will be severely punished, and the gaurd that provoked the incident will come out smelling like a rose. I am so sick of this system I could spit! As a matter of fact I will - p-tooey!

[Blue Fish]

Isn't Guzman part of the goon squad over there?
And how exactly does did the inmate get into the visiting room after it was closed? After all the visitors leave, all the inmates have to strip down for searches, there are at least 2 -3 guards in the room during this. Then the inmates have to leave the visiting area in groups of 3 or 4 at a time. The yard isn't just outside the door, you have to go down a hall and inbetween the fenced in yards with the guard escort. I think there is more to this story than in being reported because it doesn't make sense to me.
And I'm sure that the inmate was provoked leading up to the attack. I've seen first hand how the guards inform you that your visiting is going to be denied, and they are not nice about it at all. Not that I agree with the violence, but there had to be a reason behind it. Maybe now the guards will know to quit playing games with people.

[bscotch55]

Well I think that it is easy to say the CO was being a jerk. Yes, on the streets we can say "oh I think that person is a jerk" and we typically would not deal with a person who was a jerk. But inside I would imagine jerk is putting it lightly. Playing with the one thing an inmate cherishes the most, his visits, is being cruel. If there was something going that justified the termination that is one thing. But if it is because of an extra kiss. Wouldn't a warning suffice. And if this offcier is known to intimadate people with the threat of termination and to do it that is not being a jerk, that is being an a$$hole. Some people just snap. I'm not saying what took place was right, but I can understand why a person would kick someone else's a$$. Haven't any of you being so mad you said "next time I see him/her or next they do that, I'm gonna kick the shit out of them" I know I have. I didn't act on it because I live freely and could remove myself from the situation. But when you can't, I can see a person snapping like that.

[Kathy]

Originally Posted by Fred_Bear

Kathy, So let me get this straight, because this Guzman can be (and from the sounds of things he normally is) a real jerk, it is okay that he was attacked. I may have mis-read the way your post was intended, but I don't believe just because someone is a jerk is any reason for him to be violently assaulted.

Dear Fred Bear, my answer to you is NO! My Second post was from a Person who knew the Guard. NOT MY OWN WORDS. I still feel bad for the guard and feel the same as others who have posted to this thread.

My own son has expressed feelings about certain CO's in the past and about how they do little things to upset you or mess with your Head. I remember when he first went to Prison (just a kid 18, weighing about 160), and the CO's put a guy in his cell that was a Molester, to just mess with his HEAD. They did it on Purpose. THEY LAUGHED! THEY SAID ALL KINDS OF SHIT, (I can not post here what was said), to my son. The guy was pulled out of the Cell the Next day! I know others who have told the same story.

SO, when I first read this article, I said to myself "SELF, what the Heck provoked this Inmate?" The thought of anyone getting hit with those STICKS that you carry around just makes me feel for the person who is being hit by you!

I have posted in several threads about an Inmate I write to who was Handcuffed and the CO's broke both of his Arms.
WASSUP WITH THAT SHIT? Have you been there and done that too MR. Bear? My friend was down and on the ground HANDCUFFED? Soooooooooooooo, I feel NO ONE DESERVES to be BEAT! INMATE OR GUARD!

I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS and FRIENDS working on your side of the Fence who BRAG about Crap like this! Needless to say I do remove myself if this is Talked about most of the time. Sometimes I do want to hear, so I can get a better feeling of the MENTALITY of CO's or COPS!
I JUST GET SICK TO MY STOMACH HEARING HOW FUN IT IS TO MESS WITH THEIR MINDS!

[Fred_Bear]

Kathy,

I could not agree with you more, when an inmate is cuffed there is no reason to hit them. As a matter of fact I have never (thank God) had to use my baton on anyone, and I hope I never have too, but on several occasions I have had to defend myself by means of pepper-spray and physical force, but I prefer to use my mouth to try and calm any situation. Just because some people "get off" on fu(king with inmates, does not mean that we all do. I treat inmates (individually) the same way they treat me, I live by these five words "give respect to get respect".

[Kathy]

Thanks Fred_Bear THANKS!

Originally Posted by Fred_Bear

Kathy,

I could not agree with you more, when an inmate is cuffed there is no reason to hit them. As a matter of fact I have never (thank God) had to use my baton on anyone, and I hope I never have too, but on several occasions I have had to defend myself by means of pepper-spray and physical force, but I prefer to use my mouth to try and calm any situation. Just because some people "get off" on fu(king with inmates, does not mean that we all do. I treat inmates (individually) the same way they treat me, I live by these five words "give respect to get respect".

[Heidi Jones]

To give you all an update on what happened:
The Saturday prior to this incident, Frank Johnson gave his wife an extra kiss on the way out. Guzman told him that he would write him up and he would be visiting behind glass for the rest of his stay in Corcoran. Johnson did not receive a 115, but Guzman did put Frank behind glass for his next visit that Saturday.
There are 2 things you should also know:
1.) Frank had just been released from Ad-Seg, where he was visiting behind glass for almost a year already. Guzman was involved in getting that arranged as well.
2.) As most of you should know, Guzman's actions are illegal as hell! Title 15 is very specific about the procedures after someone violates the regulations. His actions were the result of a personal vendetta against this man.

After visiting in old Corcoran for 10 years I knew plenty of officers. I watched them promote from line staff all the way to Captains & AW's.
I can honestly say that most of the officers I got to know where decent people that just tried to do their job.
There were only a handful that stuck out like a sore thumb. Guzman being one of them. Some of the others were Sgt. Decker (Wife of the infamous Booty Bandit famed Captain), and a former Captain who's now the AW at CSATF....the very place they sent Frank Johnson to after the incident.

After they shackled Johnson up, they beat the S**t out of him. He had to have surgery to his eye. One of the officers promised to "make a pinata" out of him while he beat him.

As of this morning, Frank was moved to SAC (New Folsom).

Senator Vasconcellos' office and Ken Hurdle have both been involved with getting him moved out of Corcoran to avoid any more violence against this prisoner.

I truly believe the only reason this man is still alive, is because of all the attention we gave to this incident.
It's a reminder for all families to stand up for their loved ones when bad guards threaten their well being. Giving into intimitation and fearing retaliation will only incourage those few bad apples to continue their abuse and give the rest of the Department a bad name.
I truly feel that most officers are there to do a good job, like most employees everywhere else. When I request action against a guard, believe me, I know from first hand experience what a snake that man is!

Have a great weekend everyone! :-)

[Blue Fish]

That is all such BS. The staff expects the inmates and visitors to follow every printed rule and the rules as THE staff interprets them to be - but they (the staff) are so quick to "forget" the policies themselves. For any type of excessive contact, the guard cannot make a determination to alter visits. They can only give a 115 and have the Srgt. inform the visitor that the next visit will be behind glass. And in no way would an extra give warrent the remaining of his time to be spent behind glass, the usual is 6 months for the first offense.
Corcoran as a whole is such a mess.

[Kathy]

WELCOME ABOARD HEIDI! I started a Thread for you the other day on this Topic! Glad to see you here!

http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51566

Love
Kathy

[grammyk]

I agree with Amy1. This all sounds very suspicious. How could Frank Johnson get back to the visiting area without being detected? Could it have been a set up by Guards who didn't like Guzman? Sounds like all I've heard here, he is the one who should be behind bars. I do not condone what Frank Johnson did, but i can understand it. My son was traumitized when he was attacked a raped in his cell by 4 Inmates and a Guard was involved. But, that was nothing compared to the way he was physically and mentally abused after they took him to PC. All of his possessions were put in storage and he was was not allowed to make any more phone calls and could only have writing and reading material in that cell. He was being treated like he committed the crime. He fought back with his words and got knocked around and put in a cold cement box, naked, for 3 days for just saying he felt like killing himself. When he was let out he was told, "Bet you don't try that again, huh?" After 7-8 months, at my constent persuation, he has finally been moved to an area where he is getting mental medication and therapy. There is so much more to tell, but I know this is not the place to "write my book ". I just wonder, if there are so many good guards in our prisons, how do the bad ones get away with so much?
Donna K

Originally Posted by Amy1

Isn't Guzman part of the goon squad over there?
And how exactly does did the inmate get into the visiting room after it was closed? After all the visitors leave, all the inmates have to strip down for searches, there are at least 2 -3 guards in the room during this. Then the inmates have to leave the visiting area in groups of 3 or 4 at a time. The yard isn't just outside the door, you have to go down a hall and inbetween the fenced in yards with the guard escort. I think there is more to this story than in being reported because it doesn't make sense to me.
And I'm sure that the inmate was provoked leading up to the attack. I've seen first hand how the guards inform you that your visiting is going to be denied, and they are not nice about it at all. Not that I agree with the violence, but there had to be a reason behind it. Maybe now the guards will know to quit playing games with people.