An inmate at the Greene County Jail has been charged with battery for allegedly throwing a cup of hot water, fresh out of a microwave, into the face of another inmate.

Charles Michael Orr, 43, Terre Haute but currently an inmate in the Greene County Jail, appeared in Greene Superior Court yesterday, Thursday, June 4, for an initial hearing and was charged with battery, a Class B misdemeanor.

Sgt. Bobby Pierce of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department was tasked with investigating an incident that occurred in the jail on Thursday, May 21. Two inmates were involved in the altercation. Sgt. Pierce reviewed video footage from the jail’s surveillance cameras and reviewed a report of the incident written up by a jail officer.

According to Sgt. Pierce’s report, the video showed Orr heating up a cup of water in a microwave then walking to his cell where he buzzed the control tower and told an officer he was “about to hurt someone.” Before he could be stopped, Orr then said, “I warned you,” and walked away. The jail officer alerted other staff to respond to the cell block but before they got there, Orr had thrown the cup of hot water into another inmate’s face.

Sgt. Pierce reported that after that happened, the other inmate turned, Orr backed into a fighting stance and the other inmate advanced and swung at Orr with a closed fist, knocking Orr to the ground. Orr was hit a few more times before jail officers stopped the altercation.

Both Orr and the other inmate declined to make statements and said they wanted an attorney.

The initial hearing was conducted via two-way video conference between the courtroom and the jail and a public defender was appointed to represent Orr.