Salem man bound over for alleged assault on jail guard
LISBON — A Salem man accused of assaulting a corrections officer at the Columbiana County Jail was bound over following a preliminary hearing Thursday before Judge Mark Frost in Columbiana County Municipal Court.
Corrections Officer Sgt. Edwin Alvarez said he was working on Feb. 15 when the fire alarm went off, and officers arrived at the cell of Zachary Kenst, 24, Arch Street, Salem, to find he had damaged the fire sprinkler in his cell, which was flooding his cell. Alvarez said Kenst was “going crazy” and yelling like he “thought he was going to drown.”
While officers dealt with the water flooding the booking area and hallway, shutting off the water to the sprinkler system, Kenst reportedly continually banged on the door of his cell. Officers warned him and then sprayed him with mace. He continued to yell and then put a mattress in front of the door to keep them out, so they went in through a side door and maced him again.
After he was cuffed, Kenst was taken to a shower to be “decontaminated” due to the mace in his face and eyes. It was during that process Kenst reportedly “had a strange look on his face.” He came at Alvarez and reportedly kneed him in the thigh and headbutted him in the chin.
Alvarez said Kenst also began to pound his own head off the floor, a story defense attorney Eric Kibler tried to question. Kibler asked Alvarez further about Kenst’s injuries, which later necessitated a trip to the hospital. He asked Alvarez if Kenst lost consciousness at some point and awoke to find himself in the hospital as he has told his attorney. Alvarez said “no” and then added “he did lose a lot of blood.”
“What is it about jails that people are always harming themselves,” Kibler asked, prompting an objection from Assistant County Prosecutor Don Humphrey Jr.
Kibler also asked Alvarez about why Kenst was in a detox cell at the time of the alleged offense. Alvarez said Kenst was caught passing what was believed to be a crystal drug substance to another inmate. He was inside the special cell so Kenst’s bowel movements could be monitored to search for evidence of items he was believed to possibly have concealed inside his body.
Frost bound Kenst over to the county grand jury on the charge of assaulting a peace officer and raised his bond to $100,000 cash or surety due to the serious nature of the offense. A criminal mischief charge for reportedly damaging the sprinkler head will also be sent along with the felony.
djohnson@mojonews.com