By Joe Bachman

A 31-year-old man is charged with battery to a correctional officer after police say he punched a corrections officer in the head.

Jason Spindler, of La Crosse, is charged with battery by prisoners, and criminal damage to property, as well as prior charges of threatening a judge, disorderly conduct, taking a vehicle without consent, theft, and operating a while revoked.

According to police reports, on Nov. 11, 2015, a deputy responded to the Wood County Jail in regards to an incident between an inmate and a corrections officer. The corrections officer was in the process of transporting Spindler to a different cell and momentarily took handcuffs off of him. As soon as Spindler’s right hand was free, he swung at the corrections officer, striking him in the head.

On Nov. 17, 2015, a deputy was dispatched to Wood County Jail regarding another incident involving Spindler. In this case, Spindler allegedly wrote his name out on his cell wall using his own feces, as well as smearing it on the inside of the cell door window.

Spindler has previous charges of making threats to a judge while in court for earlier charges of theft, taking a vehicle without consent, and criminal damage of property in August of 2015. He threatened the judge and told a deputy that he was going to “chop the judge up and feed him to his family.”

Spindler was treated at Riverview Hospital in August of 2015 where he claimed to hear voices in his head.

If convicted, Spindler faces up to six years imprisonment and up to $10,000 in fines, as well as another six years imprisonment and up to $10,000 in fines for related charges. A court date has not yet been scheduled.