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Nov 27, 2023

Wasco prison guard appeared drunk, pepper

by: Jason Kotowski Posted: May 31, 2023 / 02:28 PM PDT Updated: Jun

by: Jason Kotowski

Posted: May 31, 2023 / 02:28 PM PDT

Updated: Jun 1, 2023 / 07:05 PM PDT

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A Wasco State Prison correctional officer appeared to be intoxicated when he brandished a gun after barricading himself in a portion of the prison and sprayed pepper spray in his mouth and eyes, according to court documents.

"I am not going to hurt anyone," Shawn Wilder said according to documents filed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that became available Wednesday. "I’m only going to hurt myself."

Wilder then grabbed a can of pepper spray and emptied it in his mouth, the reports say, then grabbed more cans and sprayed his eyes. Wilder said he wanted to kill himself and was sick of neck and back pain, his brain "fried" from medication, according to the documents.

A prison Crisis Response Team convinced him to surrender hours later.

Wilder, 51, is charged with assault with a gun and bringing alcohol into prison, both felonies, as well as a misdemeanor charge of brandishing a gun. He's free on $50,000 bail and is due back in court in July.

The standoff began shortly after 9 p.m. on Jan. 13 and ended the following morning.

Wilder entered the prison's Complex Control — an area used by staff to control and supervise inmates — and told another officer to leave, according to the documents. Finding Wilder's behavior "bizarre," the other officer left and went to the watch commander, who told him Wilder wasn't supposed to be there, reports say.

An officer called to the scene tried speaking with Wilder and noticed he was shirtless and drinking a bottle of alcohol, reports say. Wilder pepper-sprayed himself and appeared despondent, the officer said in the documents.

"It's over for me, they cannot fix me," Wilder said according to the documents.

At one point during the standoff, Wilder pulled a handgun and held it outside the Complex Control window toward another officer, according to the documents.

"You are not going to shoot me, put the gun down," the officer said according to the reports.

Wilder responded, "You’re right. I am not going to shoot you," reports say. He then manually ejected rounds from the gun, removed the magazine and threw the gun and magazine in a trash can, reports say.

Staff and inmates were evacuated to a safe area during the incident. No injuries were reported.

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