Deputies in St. Landry Parish say a corrections officer was attacked by an inmate who was allegedly trying to escape his cell.
According to Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz, on November 18, 2021 just after 3:30 a.m., a St. Landry Parish Corrections Officer was attacked by an inmate while performing his duties.
Deputies say 39-year-old Timothy Benoit was observed climbing on the sink of his cell and was trying to remove a ceiling panel to escape. A corrections deputy entered the cell and attempted to place handcuffs on Benoit.
At that time, Benoit allegedly pulled away and began punching the deputy.
The deputy then attempted to spray Benoit, but Benoit allegedly overpowered the deputy and placed the deputy in a choke hold. Officials say that Beniot began yelling “I’m going to kill you.”
Additional deputies entered the cell and Benoit released the deputy. The sheriff's office says that Beniot then stated, “I could have killed him, but I didn’t.”
Benoit then began to resist the assisting deputies and tried to remove their impact weapons.
Benoit was handcuffed, shackled and then removed from his cell.
An ambulance was called to render aid to the deputy due to him having trouble breathing and being contaminated with OC spray, SLPSO says.
While deputies were decontaminating Benoit, he tried to run for the exit door but was quickly subdued. Benoit is currently in custody on burglary charges. The deputy was later released and cleared to return to duty.
Benoit was rearrested on the following charges:
- Attempted First Degree Murder
- (3) Counts Attempted Simple Escape
- Disarming of a Peace Officer
- (4) Counts Attempted Disarming of a Peace Officer
- (2) Battery of a Correctional Facility Employee
- (4) Counts Resisting an Officer with Force or Violence
- Attempted Battery of Correctional Facility Employee
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