A Washington State Penitentiary inmate is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly assaulting a corrections officer and injuring him in July 2023.
Faletio H. Seiaute, 31, is charged with second-degree assault with substantial bodily harm and custodial assault in an adult institution. The charges are Class B and C felonies.
Though the alleged assault occurred in July, the Walla Walla Police Department submitted a probable cause affidavit for charges on Friday, Dec. 1, after officials completed an investigation.
Charges were filed later in December, and Seiaute made his first appearance in court remotely on Tuesday, Jan. 2.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Seiaute struck the victim in the face multiple times in the day room of the prison's Delta Unit. The guard was observing inmates returning their trays after a meal when he was attacked, according to the court document.
The corrections officer was taken to Providence St. Mary Medical Center for treatment. According to the documents, his injuries included multiple facial fractures and broken teeth; he was also unable to remember the assault.
After the attack, another corrections officer used pepper spray on Seiaute, who was then placed into restraints.
According to the online Washington Department of Corrections inmate roster, Seiaute has been relocated to the Monroe Correctional Complex in Monroe.
July's attack is not the first time Seiaute has been accused of assaulting a corrections officer.
In 2018, Seiaute pleaded guilty in Clallam County Superior Court to custodial assault in an adult institution. Clallam County is home to the Clallam Bay Corrections Center.
In exchange for the guilty plea, charges of second-degree assault and third-degree criminal mischief were dismissed. He was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison for the Clallam County case, to be served consecutively with the prison term he was already serving.
According to court documents obtained from the Pierce County Superior Court, Seiaute pleaded guilty to third-degree assault in April 2018 and sentenced to three years and seven months in prison. He was serving that sentence at the time of the assault in Clallam County.
Tobby Hatley, a DOC spokesperson, confirmed that Seiaute's current sentence ends on Thursday, Nov. 21.
Seiaute's arraignment in Walla Walla County is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 16. Walla Walla defense attorney Nicholas Holce has been appointed to represent him.
