Charges are pending against two inmates in the Larimer County jail who are accused of threatening guards and trying to fight them.
The disturbances on Sunday prompted the activation three times of the jail’s special emergency response ream.
The disturbance began when Steven McCranie, 27, tried to “spray an unknown liquid” at a deputy and threatened to harm himself and guards, the county sheriff’s office said in a news release Wednesday.
McCranie was moved to another cell where he began superficially cutting his arm with a piece of metal he hid in his mouth, the release said.
As deputies were removing McCranie from his cell for a second time, inmates in the adjacent housing unit started banging on their cell doors and obstructing the windows to their cells so deputies couldn’t see inside, the office said.
Officials say inmate Derrick Gaworowski, 19, was “inciting other inmates to join in the disturbance.”
When Gaworowski refused to stop, guards tried to remove him from his cell. Gaworowski began battling the guards, at which point they used a PepperBall — a pepper-spray projectile device — and stunned him.
“Gaworowski was successfully moved to a more secure part of the jail,” the release said. “Gaworowski suffered minor abrasions during the incident and no deputies were injured.”
Officials say details of the incidents will be presented to the county district attorney’s office, which will decide if charges will be filed against the inmates.
McCranie was being held on suspicion of assault, menacing and harassment when the disturbance happened, jail records show.
Gaworowski was being held on suspicion of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, assault, driving under the influence, theft and harassment, records say.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or
