Former Lawton prison inmate pleads to assaulting corrections officer

A former Lawton Correctional Facility inmate pleaded guilty to assaulting a corrections’ officer during a May 2023 melee.

On Friday, Marques Laurice Crawford, pleaded guilty in Comanche County District Court to a felony count of assault and battery on a corrections officer, records indicate.

Special District Judge Christine Galbraith sentenced Crawford to serve five years in prison to run consecutive with a prior conviction from July 2016 in Oklahoma County where he was sentenced to serve 20 years for attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon. He also will have to pay $2,339.94 in court costs and fines.

Oklahoma Department of Corrections Agent Steve Bonds viewed the prison security video of the May 10, 2023, incident at the prison, 8607 SE Flower Mound Road, as part of his investigation.

According to Bonds, shortly before 11:30 a.m. May 10 two corrections officers went to the H2-A Unit to escort selected inmates from the unit when an inmate who wasn’t being removed, Damian McCall, approached them abruptly, the probable cause affidavit states. Another inmate appeared to try and intervene, according to security video. McCall continued forward and began assaulting one of the officers.

Two other officers went to intervene as it escalated with other inmates inserting themselves into the incident. McCall was seen punching two of the officers and Joshua Johnson joined in and struck the third, the affidavit states. An officer used pepper spray to attempt to stop the attack. Marques Crawford then grabbed the officer’s arm, causing her to redirect the spray before slamming her into a wall, according to Bonds.

During the incident, the H2-A door opened to allow the officers to exit. According to the affidavit, Quinton Gilliam was seen kicking one of the officers during their retreat. Additional staff members arrived and gained control of the situation.

Following the incident, these four inmates were transferred to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, according to Oklahoma Department of Corrections records.