from Bakersfield.com
by Melanie Nguyen
A Kern Valley State Prison inmate was sentenced Wednesday to an additional 31 years to life in prison after he was found guilty of assaulting corrections officers by throwing human feces at them and possessing an inmate-manufactured weapon.
Emanuel Lewis Boone, 34, was found guilty of aggravated battery by gassing on a correctional officer, preventing officers from carrying out their duties and possessing an inmate-manufactured weapon.
On Jan. 28, 2019, Boone complained about increasing abdominal pain while en route from the prison in Delano to Kings County, according to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office. Boone was then taken to a hospital where an inmate-manufactured weapon was surgically removed from his rectal cavity, according to the DA.
On Feb. 13, 2019, corrections officers were taking Boone to a new housing facility at Kern Valley State Prison when he began throwing feces at them. Boone struggled with officers as they tried to detain him, according to the DA.
Boone is currently serving time in prison due to various convictions from Los Angeles County, including domestic violence, first-degree burglary and assault with a deadly weapon charges from 2008 through 2016. According to the DA, Boone was scheduled to be released from prison in February 2050 before his new conviction.
Following the sentencing, the prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Jamila Ha, told The Californian via email that criminals not only commit crimes in the community, but also in prison. She said increasingly, corrections officers are victims of crimes.
“These crimes often go unnoticed by the public, but it is our office’s job to hold these criminals accountable and be a voice for law enforcement victims. This strict sentence is a reflection of our steadfast commitment to advocating for victims’ safety and is necessary to ensure that crimes committed while in prison are taken seriously,” Ha said.
Deputy Public Defender Kate Lee, Boone’s defense attorney, told The Californian in an email Thursday that Boone struggled from a mental health crisis days before the attack. She said Boone had previously been on suicide watch and had harmed himself in the past.
“Two doctors testified at the not guilty by reason of insanity phase that Mr. Boone was mentally ill, likely having a psychotic episode, and his mental health issues were affecting his behavior,” Lee said. “His psychotic episode did not fit the narrowly tailored definition of what it means to be not guilty by reason of insanity, but ultimately it would keep everyone safe if he could receive a higher level of mental health treatment.”
link to article: Inmate sentenced to 31 years in prison for gassing CDCR officers | News | bakersfield.com
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