Preliminary hearings held for inmates in Houtzdale prison riot

Two state prison inmates charged for their involvement in a riot at SCI Houtzdale in April had preliminary hearings Thursday.

Yafest Oliver, 27, is charged with four counts each of aggravated assault, assault by prisoner, simple assault, and harassment in addition to riot and disorderly conduct and Richard Adams, 34, is charged with aggravated assault, assault by prisoner, riot, simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment. After their hearings, the charges for both men were held to court by District Judge James Hawkins and sent on to the Court of Common Pleas for further disposition.

According to the affidavits of probable cause, on April 28 Adams and another inmate were engaged in a physical altercation in the south yard inside the prison. A corrections officer saw the other inmate lying on the ground and Adams kicking him in the head and face area. This officer contacted the control office to report the assault.

The officer then went toward Adams as he began to walk away from the victim. Other officers arrived to assist the first CO. As they approached Adams they repeated several orders to Adams in regards to being cuffed. Adams refused all orders, took his coat off and threw it onto the ground. He then took a fighting stance and stated “you’re not cuffing me!”

The officers took Adams to the ground and attempted to restrain him with handcuffs. Several inmates stepped in and began assaulting the five officers. They punched, hit and kicked them multiple times in their heads, faces and bodies.

During this assault, Adams kicked, stomped and punched one of the officers while he was on the ground. Oliver also struck this same CO with closed fists about the head and body while he was down. This officer was taken by helicopter to UPMC Altoona for treatment. He suffered a laceration on his head that was about 3 centimeters long, facial contusions, head injuries including a concussion and a sinus fracture.

Oliver also kicked and punched another officer while he was on the ground. This victim was taken to UPMC Altoona for treatment. Oliver struck a third officer with closed fists to the back of his head. Oliver then grabbed his radio and hit him in the head with it. This officer suffered injuries to his neck, right arm, right wrist and right rib area.

Oliver was also one of the inmates who struck a fourth CO with closed fists and helped knock him to the ground. This victim suffered a concussion, contusions to his face and he had pain in his right arm.

A third inmate charged for his actions during the riot, Norman Worthman, 51, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Feb. 3.

Adams is serving a life sentence for a 2001 murder case in Philadelphia and Oliver is serving a 20- to 40-year sentence for a 2008 murder in Philadelphia.

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 8:16 PM with the headline "Preliminary hearings held for inmates in Houtzdale prison riot."