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Inmate charged in harassment of guard

By Josh Krysak heraldstandard.Com 2 min read

Uniontown police, in conjunction with Fayette County Detective James Caccimelio, have filed multiple charges against a Uniontown man accused of allegedly spraying a prison guard with urine and feces while incarcerated in January.

Uniontown police Detective Donald M. Gmitter said Stefan Kendel Cooper Jr., 22, was charged Thursday before Magisterial District Judge Michael M. Metros with aggravated harassment by a prisoner and terroristic threats following the assault on prison guard Ronald Schultz.

According to investigators, the incident occurred Jan. 23 while Cooper was inside a cell on B Range in the Fayette County Prison.

Schultz was making his rounds on the range when Cooper sprayed him with urine and fecal matter that Cooper had placed inside two empty lotion containers.

Schultz noted that the range had been on lock down because Cooper had been acting up.

Other witnesses, including multiple inmates, corroborated Schultz’s account of the incident, investigators said.

Additionally, several witnesses told Gmitter and Caccimelio that Cooper planned the incident and spoke openly about wanting to spray guards as they walked past his cell.

He also had put soapy water onto the floor outside of his cell to keep guards at a distance from the bars, police said.

Cooper remains jailed on $50,000 straight cash bond for burglary and related charges filed by state police following a burglary last year in German Township.

He will face a preliminary hearing for the incident involving Schultz at a later date before Metros.

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