A corrections officer in Connecticut has been charged with assault on an elderly person for allegedly using excessive force during an incident with an inmate at the Corrigan Correctional Center in Montville.
Todd Blevons, 42, turned himself in on Wednesday after state troopers obtained a warrant for his arrest, according to Connecticut State Police. He faces one count of third-degree assault on an elderly person.
According to a spokesperson for the Department of Correction, Blevons has been on administrative leave since Nov. 11, 2023, and is the subject of a DPC Security Division investigation. He has been employed by the department since December 2018.
According to the warrant affidavit, Blevons was involved in an incident with a 66-year-old inmate in November 2023, when he searched him as he was leaving the cafeteria of the correctional center. The victim alleged that Blevons had him put his hands up against a wall while he searched him, finding him with cookies in his pocket that he reportedly was not supposed to have.
According to the victim, Blevons allegedly threw the cookies down and continued searching the man before he was thrown to the ground, the warrant affidavit said. Blevons then allegedly jumped on him and held him down with his knees as additional officers arrived to help get him into handcuffs. The man alleged that he was hit with pepper spray during the incident, according to the warrant affidavit.
The inmate told investigators he suffered several injuries. He said he needed about eight stitches above his eye and had bruises on his face, torso, chest and back, the warrant affidavit said. He said he also suffered broken ribs that made it difficult to breathe for multiple weeks.
The man claimed that he had ongoing issues with Blevons and that he allegedly appeared to single him out, according to the warrant affidavit.
Following the incident, Blevons gave DOC staff a different account of what happened. He alleged that the inmate was not compliant and tried walking away when he began to search him, the warrant affidavit said. He also alleged that the man threatened to kill him if he saw him outside of the prison, according to the warrant affidavit.
Blevons alleged that the inmate turned around during the search at one point, facing him, and scratched his neck, the warrant affidavit said. He said he took the man down to the ground at that point and delivered several knee strikes before using pepper spray.
According to the warrant affidavit, the warden of the correctional facility reportedly found that video surveillance footage of the incident was not in line with Blevons’ version of events. The warden also placed Blevons on administrative leave. State police investigators were able to review the surveillance as part of their investigation.
Following his arrest, Blevons was released on a $25,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Norwich Superior Court on Dec. 5.