Putnamville inmate facing additional felonies for Feb. 9 assaults

PUTNAMVILLE — Already serving a seven-year sentence for burglary out of Shelby County, a former Putnamville Correctional Facility inmate is now facing three more felonies for a Feb. 9 incident.

This week the Putnam County Prosecutor’s Office filed three more felonies against 31-year-old Dusty Vaughn -- Level 5 felony battery resulting in bodily injury to a public safety officer, Level 6 felony strangulation and Level 5 felony battery by bodily waste.

The prosecution is also seeking the habitual offender enhancement, considering Vaughn’s multiple prior conviction.

On Feb. 9, Vaughn allegedly attacked a correctional officer, grabbing and holding her by the arms and pushing her against a wall. Court documents indicate he then squeezed the officer so tightly that she struggled to breathe.

The report by Putnamville Internal Affairs Investigator Robert Evans indicated that Vaughn then put his arms around the officer’s head and neck, putting her in a choke hold.

During the attack, the officer was able to call for help and also apply a chemical agent to Vaughn’s face, but the latter reportedly only made him more aggressive.

The prison’s quick response team arrived and was able to separate Vaughn from the officer and he was taken to restrictive housing.

While in his temporary cell, Vaughn was given orders to allow officers to place him in handcuffs and move him. At this time, he allegedly spit on another correctional officer.

Vaughn reportedly knew at the time of the attack that he is positive for a communicable disease. Vaughn’s knowledge of his health condition makes the assault a higher-level offense.

Evans reported that both assaults were captured on camera.

Vaughn was convicted of Class C felony burglary in 2014 and his earliest possible release date had been September 2021.

He has past convictions for Class C felony burglary and D felony receiving stolen auto parts in 2010, D felony burglary in 2009 and D felony mischief in 2007.

Since the alleged attacks, Vaughn has been relocated from medium-security Putnamville to the maximum-security Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle.