Comanche County Detention Center accused of guard assault

Already jailed for allegations of a motel room hammer attack, a Lawton man is accused of assaulting a corrections officer and of damaging computers at the Comanche County Detention Center.

Velo Venilly Tawkoyty, 34, made his initial appearance last week in Comanche County District Court where he received a felony charge of assault and battery on a corrections officer and a misdemeanor count of malicious injury to property under $1,000, records indicate. Due to four prior felony convictions, he faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the felony.

The allegations stem from a July 21 incident at the jail where corrections officers tried to get Tawkoyty into a restraint chair due to him making threats to harm himself, according to the probable cause affidavit. An officer went to his cell and Tawkoyty is accused of rushing out and attacking the officer, punching her in the face and head and forcing her into a corner before throwing her to the ground.

Investigators said Tawkoyty continued hitting her while she was on the ground before other officers were able to take him under control, the affidavit states. Multiple detention center computers were damaged during the melee, according to the charge.

Tawkoyty has been in the Comanche County Detention Center on $75,000 bond following his Feb. 7 initial court appearance for a felony charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after former felony convictions, records indicate. He is accused of assaulting his mother’s boyfriend with a hammer four days earlier in a room at Motel 6, 202 E. Lee.

Tawkoyty has three prior Comanche County convictions: September 2007, robbery with fore and fear; March 2019, arson; and May 2022, possession of a firearm after former felony convictions, records indicate.

An additional $100,000 bond was set for Tawkoyty’s latest charges. He returns to court at 3 p.m. Jan. 2, 2024, for his preliminary hearing conference in this case.