Garner Inmates Charged In Separate Incidents

State police report that two inmate incidents recently occurred at Garner Correctional Institution, the state’s high-security prison on Nunnawauk Road.

One incident concerned a homemade weapon and the other involved an assault.

On the morning of October 14, an inmate was found to possess a homemade knife in his prison cell.

State police charged inmate Christopher Lathrop, 23, with possession of a dangerous instrument in a correctional facility.

Lathrop is serving a prison sentence on a second degree larceny conviction, according to the state Department of Correction (DOC). Lathrop was arraigned in court on the weapon charge on October 15.

In another Garner incident, on the afternoon of October 8, an inmate pushed a prison psychiatrist, who was sitting in a chair, state police said. The psychiatrist fell out of the chair onto the floor, after which the inmate pushed and shoved the psychiatrist while he was on the floor, injuring the psychiatrist, state police said.

State police identified the injured prison psychiatrist as Kunjathan Thankappan, no age given.

State police charged inmate Robert Lee Jefferson, 40, with third degree assault, assault of a DOC employee, and breach of peace. Jefferson is serving a first degree robbery sentence in Garner, according to the DOC.

Jefferson was arraigned in court on the assault charges the next day.