WILLIAMSPORT – A former inmate at the Dauphin County Prison claims she was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a guard two years ago.

Barbara Barngetuny makes the allegation in a suit filed Thursday in U.S. Middle District Court seeking unspecified damages from the county, Warden Dominick DeRose, former corrections officer Joshua Marshall and another guard identified only as John Doe.

Barngetuny, then a post-trial detainee, alleges Marshall on Nov. 10, 2017, slammed her face onto the floor, knocking her out, and then Doe pepper-sprayed her twice while she lay motionless.

After being assaulted, she claims several corrections officers laughed at her and told to stop crying. One said she cried worse than his 2-year-old niece, the suit claims.

Barngetuny says suffered a broken jaw that required surgery along with two broken teeth broken and cuts to the chin.

Since the incident, according to the court document, she has suffered from migraine headaches, severe emotional distress, post-traumatic stress disorder and has had difficulty sleeping.

She claims the incident, which occurred while she was handcuffed, was captured on a surveillance camera. A county detective has the video, she claims.

Following the assault, Barngetuny said she was put in solitary confinement and not allowed a visit by her mother.

The court complaint states other staff told her Marshall had a reputation for beating inmates including females.

Barngetuny filed a grievance but she said it was rejected because she had been transferred to the Cumberland County Prison after the incident and was not available to be interviewed.

She was accused of being combative and trying to assault a guard for which she said she received 10 days of lock-in.

Barngetuny claims Dauphin County corrections officers have a widespread custom of attempting to cover up their bad deeds by falsifying reports and initiating disciplinary proceedings against inmates who they assaulted.

The alleged incident came to light in December 2017 when Barngetuny wrote a letter to Pennlive in which she gave her version of what happened.

District Attorney Ed Marsico said at the time the alleged incident was under investigation. There is no record of Marshall being charged.

Court records show Barngetuny has convictions for offenses including public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and providing false identification to law enforcement.

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