By Jake Schild
The Daily World
ABERDEEN, Wash. — An inmate was sentenced to 43 months in jail on Monday after assaulting a corrections officer at Stafford Creek Corrections Center last spring.
Jimmy Joe Sanchez, 43, was charged with custodial assault after punching a staff member at the prison following Sanchez becoming angry that he was refused milk during breakfast at the facility, according to court records.
According to court documents, on April 7, Sanchez requested milk from the diet window in the dinning hall, but was refused. When Sanchez did not get the drink, he threw his meal tray through the diet window, striking an officer in the leg, and then quickly left the dining area.
When apprehended by corrections officers, Sanchez threw a box lunch he had taken from the dining area at one of the officers, hitting him in the chest. When approached by an officer to be handcuffed, Sanchez threw a closed-fist punch and hit the officer in the head. Another officer then pepper sprayed Sanchez before taking him into custody.
Custodial assault is a simple assault charge that involves an attack on a correctional facility staff member. It is a less severe crime than first or second degree assault, but Sanchez’s previous offenses contributed to his lengthy sentence, said prosecuting attorney Jason Walker Fielding.
Ever since the incident at Stafford Creek, Sanchez has been held at the prison in Shelton.
When asked by Judge David Edwards why he acted out violently, Sanchez said he felt his safety was compromised by the officer. “The way they came toward me (the correctional officers), I felt my safety was in jeopardy so I kinda snapped,” he said.