By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY – Salisbury police charged three known gang members with assaulting a fellow prisoner at Piedmont Correctional Institute, known as the High Rise prison. The assault occurred in March, police officials said.

Police charged Travis Dewayne Pickett, 30, of the 1300 block of Smith Street, Wadesboro; Jaquavis Dwayne Stockton, 25, of the 500 block of Cedar Street; and Brandon Alexander Talbert, 26, of the 100 block of Broom Street, Rockwell, with felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.

The assault occurred March 12 at the prison, 1245 Camp Road.

The victim, Jeffrey Allen Johns, went to the nurse’s station and told prison officials he injured himself during a basketball game. The nurse looked at his injuries and determined they were inconsistent with a basketball game, said Salisbury police Lt. Greg Beam.

Prison officials looked at video footage and saw three men, later identified as Travis Pickett, Jaquavis Stockton and Brandon Talbert, punch and kick Johns while he was in his cell.

Johns was also stabbed underneath his left eye. Johns was pulled from his bed and his head was slammed against the metal bed railing.

Police said Pickett is also known as Trap, Stockton is known as Dollar and Talbert is known as Smoke.

Johns confirmed that the men assaulted him, authorities said.

Stockton was shown on camera with a piece of metal. It’s believed the metal was either from a bed spring or a fence.