PHILADELPHIA (May 29, 2026) — Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner issued the following statement on Friday on the charges held for court against former Correctional Sergeant Ernest Blair for his assault of an incarcerated person at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC) in May 2025.
Defendant Ernest Blair (DOB 05/19/1992) was held for court on the following charges:
- Aggravated Assault (F1)
- Simple Assault (M2)
- Reckless Endangerment of Another Person (REAP) (M2)
- Official Oppression (M2)
“Former Correctional Sergeant Ernest Blair will be held accountable for violating his oath of office and unlawfully mistreating an incarcerated person while acting in his official capacity,” said District Attorney Larry Krasner. “I want to thank the DAO’s Special Investigations Unit for their work on this investigation.”
On May 28th, 2025, incarcerated person Djean Williams (DOB 01/09/2003) assaulted Blair during an incident inside the correctional facility and an altercation ensued. After the assault, Williams was escorted to the medical unit within PICC. Blair followed Williams to the medical unit and proceeded to assault him. Williams was transported to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and subsequently arrested and charged with Simple Assault in July 2025 in connection to the altercation.
After an investigation conducted by the Philadelphia Prisons Office of Professional Compliance into the incident, the matter was referred to the DAO’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which then began its investigation and prosecution. Blair was arrested and the DAO filed its complaint in March 2026.
CONTACT:
Marisa Palmer, [email protected]