Federal prisoner charged with beating in county jail

A U.S. Marshals Service prisoner who was being housed in the Ozaukee County jail faces local charges after he severely beat another jail inmate.

Jaquan A. Wright, 24, of Milwaukee, who was scheduled to appear before Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Adam Gerol for a preliminary hearing Wednesday, was charged on July 23 with battery by prisoners and substantial battery, both felonies, in connection with an April 5 incident in the county jail.

According to a criminal complaint, at 9:45 p.m. that day, a deputy learned there had been a fight between two inmates and entered Tier 3 of the jail to find an inmate holding his hand over his face and yelling at Wright.

Surveillance video showed Wright was sitting on a table in the day room when the other inmate got close to him. That’s when Wright stood up and punched the inmate in the face and swung at him several other times, the complaint states.

The other inmate tackled Wright onto the table and they began to wrestle, eventually falling to the floor.

Wright gained the upper hand, straddled the other inmate and punched him repeatedly in the face, according to the complaint.

The other inmate eventually tried to stand up and turn away from Wright, who continued punching him in the back.

The inmate then fell to the ground and was in the fetal position as Wright continued to punch him.

Other inmates intervened by grabbing Wright.

The inmate was taken to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, where it was determined he suffered an inferior orbital blowout fracture to his left eye as well as a cut to his left cheek.

The inmate later told authorities that he did not remember how the fight started and that after being punched he attempted to protect himself by grabbing Wright’s arms.

Wright, who said he may have punched the other inmate three or four times, told authorities he felt threatened by the inmate, who started the fight, according to the complaint.

Wright is being held in the county jail in lieu of $10,000 bail in connection with the fight.

He came to the jail as one of the 30 or more prisoners the Ozaukee Sheriff’s Office boards for the U.S. Marshals Service and Wisconsin Department of Corrections, which pays the county to house their prisoners while they are awaiting trial in other jurisdictions or transport to other facilities.