PUNTA GORDA, Fla. --- A Charlotte County inmate is arrested for attacking a correctional officer on Wednesday.
According to the Florida Department of Corrections' Office of the Inspector General, inmate, Omar Bleechington, struck the correctional officer in the face at Charlotte Correctional Institute.
According to a police report, the incident happened in the cafeteria when the officer told the inmate not to pick up an extra meal tray. Investigators say Bleechington proceeded to pick up another tray prompting the officer to take it away from him and instructing Bleechington to leave the cafeteria.
Bleechington struck the officer with a closed fist on the side of the face causing the officer to fall to the floor, bleeding from the head.The inmate was subdued by staff and the officer was treated at Bayfront Medical Center Hospital for injuries.
"The Department stands behind this officer and the thousands of others in our facilities who work bravely ever day despite the possibility of these difficult situations," said Julies Jones, Secretary for the Florida Department of Corrections. " I am thankful for the swift response by fellow staff to restrain the inmate and by our Office of the Inspector General and law enforcement partners to hold him accountable for his actions."
Following the arrest, Bleechington was transported to the Charlotte County Jail and is being charged with battery of a law enforcement officer.
