Inmate charged with attacking corrections officer

PUNTA GORDA — A Charlotte Correctional Institution inmate is charged with attacking a corrections officer.

Thomas Valentine, 32, has been charged with one count each of battery against a first responder and resisting arrest with violence.

The attack took place on June 10, 2023.

Valentine allegedly had a weapon at the time, described as a “sharpened” piece of metal 4 to 5 inches long with a cloth handle.

Valentine, a Tampa resident, had been serving a two-year sentence since 2022 after being found guilty of selling cocaine and possessing heroin.

He completed his prison term in January, but has since been incarcerated at Charlotte County Jail.

According to investigators, Valentine was being escorted back to his cell at CCI on June 10, 2023. The report recommending charges against him said that he was being escorted due to “disorderly behavior.”

During that time, Valentine allegedly argued with the corrections officer escorting him and struck the CO in the head with a fist.

Other COs responded and pinned Valentine to the floor.

At the time, they noticed an object fall from Valentine’s hands and hit the floor. It was described as a “weapon” in interviews with investigators, between 4 to 5 inches long and “sharpened” to a point.

Corrections officers secured the object and used pepper spray before placing Valentine in handcuffs.

The CO who was allegedly hit by Valentine did not report any injuries, but did press charges.

In a follow-up interview, Valentine told investigators he fought the corrections officer in self-defense.

He allegedly admitted to having a sharpened piece of metal for protection against other inmates. The weapon was never in his hands, he claimed, but instead fell out of his shoes.

After this reported statement, however, Valentine told investigators: “Everything I said is a lie, I want a lawyer.” At that point, the interview stopped.

An affidavit for the battery and resisting arrest charges was issued in February, leading to his arrest.

His next court appearance is set for April 22.