A Pittsburgh man who wound up in the Warren County Jail via SCI Forest is headed to back to state prison after assaulting a prisoner and corrections officer here.

President Judge Maureen Skerda sentenced Jemiere Hickman to nearly five years in state prison for the assault which occurred earlier this year.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, City of Warren police were dispatched to the jail for a report of an assault “that occurred on an inmate housed in that facility.”

Police said in the affidavit that Hickman was being transferred to Allegheny County and “was in the process of getting ready to leave” when police asked him what happened.

Hickman “stated he had nothing to say…. (H)e stated that he was at the jail for stabbing someone in Forest County and he then stated he was done talking.”

Police then spoke with a corrections officer who had been taken to Warren General Hospital for treatment stemming from this incident.

The officer said staff commanded the inmates to lock down and “attempted to separate (Hickman) from the victim, who was shoved in a corner and being struck repeatedly by (Hickman).”

In attempting to remove Hickman, police said, the corrections officer was“struck multiple times by (Hickman) in the face and twisted his knee during the melee.”

Police spoke with the victim who said that Hickman “was shouting something at him and when the victim told him to mind his own business (Hickman) charges at him and struck him repeatedly.”

The victim told police he “attempted to defend himself” but Hickman “was much larger and pummelled the victim.”

Police say the victim “sustained numerous injuries to the face and head including a laceration to the right side of the head, at least four broken ribs and a collapsed lung.”

Hickman’s attorney, Alan Conn, said that his client is awaiting sentencing in Allegheny County on other charges, is very sorry for his actions and said his client suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and said he believes that the mental health issues factored into this incident.

Assistant District Attorney Tatania Malys asked for a mental health evaluation and treatment in addition to anger management treatment.

She also asked for no contact orders with the victims and restitution totaling $5,498.31 – $782 to the corrections officer, $1,203 to Matthew Porter and $3,513.31 to the Warren County Jail.

Skerda asked Hickman about his mental health issues and Hickman said he had been in treatment since he was 12.

“You’re a repeat felon,” Skerda advised him, citing his juvenile record, and further called this incident a “very serious disturbance.”

Skerda then sentenced him 45 months to 10 years in state prison, $3,025 in fines and fees, no contact orders with both victims, credit for 10 days time served, submission of a DNA sample and a mental health evaluation at classification and compliance with recommendations on a count of assault by prisoner. He is not boot camp or recidivism risk reduction incentive eligible.

On a count of simple assault, he was sentenced to a consecutive 12 to 24 months in state prison.