Other LanguagesPORT ANGELES — A Clallam County jury today convicted a Clallam Bay Corrections Center inmate of assaulting a corrections officer with a shank, in a case prosecuted by Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office.
Carlos Avalos was convicted in Superior Court of second-degree assault for repeatedly stabbing the guard with a 4- to 5-inch metal shank. He now faces a standard sentencing range of four years, five months to five years, 10 months.
The officer was able to activate his body alarm and stop Avalos’ assault by spraying him with pepper spray. Other officers arrived and subdued Avalos.
The bloody shank, likely crafted from metal removed from a cell heating vent, was found in the hallway.
Avalos was already serving a 10-year sentence for attacking a juvenile correctional facility counselor with a shank in 2012.
The officer suffered multiple cuts to his face, head, neck, hands and torso, including a long gash on his face adjacent to his right eye and a cut to his throat.
“Our state’s corrections officers serve a vital public safety role,” Ferguson said. “I am pleased that my office was able to bring Mr. Avalos to justice.”
The Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case at the request of the Clallam County Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecutors are Assistant Attorneys General Joshua Choate and John Hillman.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 25.
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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Attorney General Bob Ferguson is working hard to protect consumers and seniors against fraud, keep our communities safe, protect our environment and stand up for our veterans. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.
Contacts:
Peter Lavallee, Communications Director, (360) 586-0725; PeterL@atg.wa.gov