A Barnstable County corrections officer has been taken into custody on allegations of assaulting an inmate within the confines of the county's correctional facility. The deputy, identified as Gregory Djaoen, 38, from New Bedford, stands accused of engaging in a physical encounter with an inmate between May 25 and May 26, incidents which reportedly left the inmate battered and potentially witness-intimidated.
As per reports from Boston 25 News, the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office, headed by District Attorney Robert J. Galibois, caught wind of the alleged assault and battery on June 2, following a report from a former inmate. The claim centered on an assault supposedly carried out by Djaoen, which has since been backed by security video evidence, although the footage has not been released to the public at this juncture.
Moving swiftly, the State Police Detective Unit of Massachusetts received notification of a presumed assault and initiated an investigation. In a statement obtained by MassLive, the District Attorney's Office disclosed Djaoen's subsequent arrest. Highlighting the gravity of the situation, District Attorney Galibois has requested local authorities in New Bedford to suspend the officer's firearms license "immediately and indefinitely suspended in light of the charges".
According to documentation released by the District Attorney's Office and quoted by NBC Boston, Djaoen is now facing one count of assault, two counts of assault and battery, one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and one count of intimidation of a witness. The accused is scheduled to be officially charged at the Falmouth District Court on Monday. Notably, the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office has placed Djaoen on administrative leave pending an investigation's outcome. Queries directed towards the Sheriff’s Office by Boston 25 News regarding the incident have yet to elicit a response.
