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SALT LAKE CITY — Two inmates were charged Wednesday in connection with a pair of recent assaults on corrections officers at the Utah State Prison.
Court documents reveal horrific details of an attack on one officer that left him with numerous injuries, and reveal that an inmate involved in a second attack has a lengthy history of violence toward both officers and other inmates.
Atiba Randall Jacobs, 27, was charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated assault by a prisoner causing injury and aggravated kidnapping, first-degree felonies.
Travis Brandon Bennett, 34, was charged with aggravated assault by a prisoner, a first-degree felony. Prosecutors have requested Bennett be classified as a habitual offender, which would make him eligible for enhanced penalties if convicted.
Between Jan. 21 and Feb. 4, at least three corrections officers were attacked in separate incidents at the new Utah State Correctional Facility, 1480 N. 8000 West.
Jacobs was out of his cell on Jan. 31 and hiding in the shower area when an officer "entered the section and did a quick check to see if the day rooms were empty. Jacobs ducked down and sneaked up behind (the officer), punching him in the head with his right fist," according to charging documents.
Jacobs threw the officer onto the concrete floor and punched him nine times, according to the charges, then stood up and kicked the officer an additional four times in the head, leaving him unconscious. Investigators say Jacobs took the officer's handcuffs and attempted to put them on the officer.
The officer, however, regained consciousness and attempted to call for help on his radio.
"Jacobs pulled the radio mic out of (the officer's) hands and flipped him over to try to take the radio off (his) belt. (The officer) was on his hands and knees and Jacobs pulled the radio from his belt and punched him two more times," the charges state. Jacobs then took a pen from the officer's belt and "held it like a shank," before throwing it away. He "slammed (the officer's) head down on the concrete and finished putting the cuffs on him. Jacobs then left with (the officer's) radio."
The officer "struggled to get up and slipped in his blood, falling into the glass of an inmate's cell, face first," according to the charges.
The officer was able to make his way through the section and was eventually pulled out of the area by other officers. He was taken to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with a number of fractures to his face, the court documents state. He later told an investigator that "in addition to having fractured eye sockets, he would need surgery to reconstruct his nasal cavities, and he also had two broken teeth which would require crowns. (The officer) said his memory of the assault was spotty due to being knocked unconscious."
Court records indicate Jacobs punched another officer in the head while he was being held in the Salt Lake County Jail in 2021.
On Feb. 4, a couple of days after that officer was attacked, another inmate — Bennett — became upset with a corrections sergeant about his "rec time." The sergeant "opened the gunport to speak with Bennett. Bennett reached through the gunport and punched (the sergeant) in the face. (He) sustained a closed nasal fracture," according to the charges.
Bennett is accused of attacking another corrections sergeant in October. In that case, Bennett was apparently upset about not being moved to another housing unit. Bennett sneaked up on the sergeant from behind, punched him in the head and face and knocked him to the ground, and attempted to stab him with a toothbrush that had a razor attached to it, charging documents state. The sergeant had to be helped by other officers and inmates who pulled Bennett off of him.
Court records show the incident was the latest in a string of attacks by Bennett while incarcerated:
- In February, Bennett attempted to "slice" another inmate with a similar weapon.
- In 2018, Bennett threw a milk carton filled with urine on two corrections officers.
- In 2017, Bennett stabbed his cellmate while he was sleeping.
- In 2016, while being checked out at a local hospital, Bennett punched a corrections guard in the head, "almost knocking him out."
- In 2011, Bennett was convicted of aggravated assault by a prisoner in Sanpete County.
A couple of weeks ago, administrators with the Utah Department of Corrections said several steps have been taken to help prevent future assaults against officers. But officers are currently required to work mandatory overtime shifts to make up for a large staffing shortage.
