Man sentenced in Fall River court after assaulting three different correctional officers in Dartmouth, New Bedford

A 37-year-old man, who assaulted three different correctional officers on three separate occasions, was sentenced today in Fall River Superior Court to state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III announced.

Kevin Branco, who has no known address, pleaded guilty today to indictments charging him with two counts of Assault and Battery on a Correctional Officer, two counts of Assault and Battery on a Correctional Officer with Bodily Substance and one count of Civil Rights Violation. He was sentenced to serve 18 to 36 months.

On March 12, 2018, Branco, who was an inmate at the Dartmouth House of Corrections, told a correctional officer, “you’re going to die in this jail, n****.” Branco proceeded to spit in the officer’s face before violently attacking him. During the altercation, the officer suffered a serious injury to his shoulder which led to him leaving law enforcement altogether.

On December 24, 2018, Branco was still at the Dartmouth House of Corrections when he spat in the face of another correctional officer, who was moving him from one cell to another because he defecated on the floor of his own cell.

Then, on March 11, 2019, Branco was an inmate at the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford. On that night, he charged at the officer, grabbing him by the neck and shoulders.

The incidents were all captured on video surveillance.

Branco has already served committed time for arson, assault and battery on a correctional officer, and assault and battery on a child.

During his plea hearing today, Assistant District Attorneys Gillian Kirsch and Patrick Driscoll argued for a four-to-five-year state prison sentence while the defendant requested that he be placed on probation. Judge Raffi Yessayan sentenced him to serve 18 to 26 months in state prison.

“This defendant engaged in outrageous behavior while being held in custody awaiting trial. He injured one officer who had to then leave law enforcement. This behavior is uncivilized conduct. He can’t even control himself while in jail and is a clear danger to the community,” District Attorney Quinn said.