Prison Guard Admits to Pepper Spray Attacks

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PHILADELPHIA – Christopher Knight, a former guard at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, finally admitted today to a pattern of brutalizing inmates and covering his tracks. Knight, 47, pleaded guilty to five counts of violating the civil rights of prisoners and two counts of falsifying official records.

Court filings detail a reign of unprovoked attacks spanning January to March of 2023. Knight didn’t just use pepper spray; he hunted for opportunities. The indictment shows he targeted inmates who were already subdued – lying face down, handcuffed, or simply returning to their cells.

On January 8th, Knight blasted a prone inmate with pepper spray, then continued to spray and strike him even after he was cuffed. Two days later, he sprayed a different handcuffed inmate while another guard escorted him. The assaults continued, escalating to Knight unleashing spray on a man simply writing on a piece of paper on March 20th, continuing to spray even as the inmate writhed in pain. Five days later, he targeted another inmate lying face down.

But the abuse wasn’t enough. Knight then filed false use-of-force reports, conveniently omitting the details that would have exposed his attacks. He tried to sanitize the truth, claiming self-defense where there was none.

Knight now faces a July 15 sentencing and a potential 90-year stretch in federal prison. The FBI led the investigation, with key help from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Priya DeSouza and Michael Miller are handling the prosecution.

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