An Essex County correctional officer, two sergeants and a lieutenant were each indicted for civil rights violations in connection with the assault of a federal pretrial detainee, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in District of New Jersey:

"Officer Damion James, 41, was charged with assaulting the pretrial detainee in violation of his civil rights. Sgt. Herman Pride, 51, Sgt. Jennifer Whitley, 38, and Lt. Nicholas Palma, 46, were charged with failing to intervene to stop the assault. Sgt. Whitley was additionally charged with submitting a false report to cover up the assault. All four defendants will be arraigned on a date to be determined."

The alleged incident took place on Aug. 17, 2020 when the detainee “squirted a mixture of urine, yogurt, and milk onto a correctional officer.”

The detainee was then placed in a disciplinary cell, where James assaulted the man in view of the other three, officials say. Two days later, he was “diagnosed with large swelling and tenderness in the right side of his face and discoloration and bruising around his right eye.”

In submitted documentation, none of the four indicated that James had assaulted the man.