Mal Pauliet Tharjiath, 26, of St. Cloud was charged on Thursday in Mower County District Court with two counts of felony fourth-degree assault-correctional employee-demonstrable bodily harm.

According to the court complaint, a Mower County deputy was dispatched to investigate an assault on jail staff on Jan. 29 at the Mower County Jail. He was advised that a jailer was trying to remove a food tray from Tharjiath’s cell in Delta Pod, but Tharjiath was refusing. The jailer then called for back up and more attempts were made to get Tharjiath to comply.

The complaint states jailers then opened the cell door and Tharjiath charged them. They attempted to subdue him with a Taser, but Tharjiath had raised a blanket to protect himself and the probes hit the blanket. He then exited his cell and punched one jailer above the left eye. While jailers attempted get him on the floor, Tharjiath struck another above his right eye with the back of his head. Once they got him to the floor, Tharjiath was subdued with a Taser and a chemical irritant.

Injuries were observed and photographed on the jailers that were struck, the complaint states. The jailer Tharjiath punched also suffered a left scapula fracture in his shoulder during the scuffle, which was deemed “substantial bodily harm.” Both jailers were taken to the hospital.

A review of Tharjiath’s criminal record shows prior convictions for damage to property, fleeing a peace officer, disorderly conduct and predatory offender knowingly violating registration requirements. He is currently serving a 20-month sentence in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud for felony escape from custody.

Tharjiath will appear in court again on Nov. 1.