Rikers captain, 4 guards busted in beat & coverup

A CITY CORRECTION captain was charged with beating up a Rikers Island inmate, and four jail officers were accused of helping the boss cover up the assault, authorities said Thursday.

Capt. Sandy Arkhurst, 42, was part of an emergency response team called after the inmate, Rodolfo Rodriguez, 18, refused to go into a housing area in the Eric M. Taylor Center on June 3, 2016.

One of the team members, Correction Officer Michael Nicholson, 42, allegedly hit Rodriguez with pepper spray and cuffed his hands behind his back.

Nicholson and three other officers — John Penafiel, 29, Christopher Squillaro, 31, and Orlando Rivera, 58 — then escorted Rodriguez to a shower area to wash off.

There, Arkhurst pummeled Rodriguez with a wooden baton, prosecutors said. He also kicked the cuffed inmate, according to the criminal complaint. Rodriguez suffered multiple bruises and several broken teeth.

Rodriguez is heard screaming and saying “no . . . chill” on an audio recording of the assault, prosecutors said. The brawl is partially captured on video, authorities said. Afterward, the four officers filed bogus internal “use of force” reports that claimed Rodriguez banged his head on a wall, and that he attacked the captain while trying to run away, the criminal complaint says.

“The culture of coverup must end if we are to rid Rikers Island of violence,” said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark.

The officers were arraigned Thursday and maintained their innocence. Arkhurst posted $10,000 bail, and the other officers posted $5,000.