Christopher Knight, a former prison guard at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia, pleaded guilty on March 19 to five counts of depriving individuals of their civil rights under color of law and two counts of falsifying records. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond, according to an announcement by United States Attorney David Metcalf.
Knight, 47, was charged by indictment in May of last year. Prosecutors said that while working as a correctional officer, Knight used pepper spray on five inmates who were already subdued over several months.
Court filings show that on January 8, 2023, Knight sprayed his first victim with pepper spray while the individual was lying face down with hands behind his back. He continued spraying and struck the victim during and after handcuffing. Two days later, he sprayed another handcuffed inmate being escorted by another guard and later that day sprayed a third victim returning to his cell, continuing even after handcuffing.
On March 20, 2023, Knight sprayed a fourth inmate who was writing on paper and not posing a threat; he continued spraying while the person lay on the ground in pain. Four days later, he sprayed a fifth victim who was also lying face down.
Authorities said Knight falsified multiple use-of-force reports by omitting key details about these incidents when describing his actions. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 15 and faces up to 90 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorneys Priya DeSouza and Michael Miller are prosecuting.
