A deputy warden of the Blair County Prison has denied that he shot an inmate with pepper paint balls during a confrontation that occurred last November as officers were trying to restore order in the facility’s Restricted Housing Unit.

Officer Shaun Edmundson in a petition filed this week in the U.S. District Court in Johnstown has asked Magistrate Judge Patricia L. Dodge of Pittsburgh to dismiss the lawsuit brought earlier this year by inmate by Mulbarak J. Alexander, 33, of Altoona, who is awaiting disposition of multiple cases that include alleged drug violations as well as assault charges.

Alexander charged in a federal petition in January that he was the victim of “excessive force” used by Edmundson, who entered the RHU during the noon hour on Nov. 20, 2025, with a paint ball gun.

The officer, according to Alexander, was “screaming and yelling” in profane terms in his efforts to bring order in the RHU.

Alexander charged that the officer was shooting paint balls in every cell on the bottom tier of the RHU and he said he was hit by four of the paint balls — twice in the head, and once each on a knee and a hand.

“I could not breathe from the OC pepper paint balls, and I was in pain from getting physically assaulted with an OC Pepper Paint Gun,” Alexander stated in his petition.

Alexander stated that after the attack he was in so much pain he requested a nurse, but the nurse never came to his cell.

Edmundson, in his answer and request for dismissal of the lawsuit filed Monday, told a different story.

His answer to the civil charges stated, “It is admitted that Edmundson did discharge three-four pepper balls in the direction of Alexander, but there was plexiglass between Alexander and Edmundson, which is what the pepper balls contacted,” Edmundson stated in his report.

“It is specifically denied that Alexander was physically subject to the OC pepper paint balls, as they broke on the side of the plexiglass opposite Alexander,” Edmundson explained.

The officer also noted his actions were necessary “to control Alexander’s disruptive behavior as well as Alexander’s failure to follow directions.”

As further explanation of what occurred that day, Edmundson stated he asked Alexander to step away from his cell door and go to the back of the cell because other officers “needed to extricate an inmate that was throwing feces at the staff trying to shut off the water in the RHU.”

The water was flooding the cell.

Edmundson in the petition for dismissal filed by Hollidaysburg attorney Mary Lou Maierhofer, stated, “It is specifically denied that Alexander suffered any injuries.”

State court records indicate that Alexander is awaiting disposition of seven separate cases.

Dodge, in a case management order issued Thursday, ordered that Alexander be provided with all records associated with the incident by June 4 and that discovery in case be completed by Aug. 6.

Any additional motions are to be filed by Oct. 6.