Cumberland man accused of assaulting 3 ACI guards

June 20, 2016 11:04 pm

Three ACI guards were assaulted by a man stumbling around the parking lot of the medium security prison in Cranston over the weekend.

Jason Carrion is described by the Department of Corrections as being "belligerent and aggressive" when asked to leave.

Richard Ferrucio with the Corrections Officers Union tells ABC 6 News that the Cumberland man is suspected of being on bath salts.

"Nobody that I talked to said they smelled alcohol on him. So we think he may have been on bath salts which in and of itself is a major concern to us,” said Ferrucio.

We’re told that Carrion fought back when officers tried to put him in handcuffs; swinging, kicking and spitting at them.

One officer was clawed in the neck and face, another punched in the in eye, the third suffered a shoulder injury.

The guards were finally able to get Carrion under control with pepper spray. Cranston police initially took custody of the 33-year-old. At that point we’re told he proceeded to bang his head against the inside of the car and tried to kick out windows.

Eventually he was taken away by State Police. He gave them such a hard time that police had to put a spit mask on him.

Carrion does have a fairly extensive criminal record including felony assault and disorderly conduct charges.

The officers involved in the latest incident are being praised for showing restraint when it comes to using force.

"This was an incident that could have turned deadly. Any time a physical confrontation happens with armed law enforcement officers many times it has the potential to become tragic,” said Ferrucio.

Carrion was arraigned and released by a Justice of the Peace on charges of disorderly conduct and assault. We are told more charges are likely.