Inmate choked and punched BEC corrections officer, say charges

A Blue Earth County Jail inmate is accused of choking and punching a corrections officer.

Ulysses L. Snell, 31, of Mankato, was charged Thursday with 4th-degree assault on a corrections employee, a felony.

A criminal complaint says Snell used the emergency intercom and asked to speak with an officer, who then went to Snell’s cell.  Snell was agitated and allegedly accused the victim and other officers of laughing at him.

Court documents say the victim began to explain that they were not laughing at anyone when Snell tried to push past the officer and leave his cell.

The complaint said Snell began choking the officer and punching him on the back of his head and neck until another officer intervened.

A deputy noted in his report that the victim had visible abrasions and red marks around his neck.  The victim also had marks under his eyes that were beginning to swell and marks on his forehead and the back of his neck, according to the charging document.  The victim reported he experienced pain when he moved his neck.

Snell has three previous violence-related cases pending in Blue Earth County, including two felony threats of violence charges and a misdemeanor domestic assault case.