Calif. inmate could face charges for Father's Day jail altercation

Already facing three murder counts, the death penalty and a host of other felony allegations, Joshua Packer could face additional charges for a recent jail altercation with sheriff's deputies, authorities said Tuesday.

The Ventura man barricaded himself in his cell Sunday afternoon after not being allowed to phone his dad on Father's Day, sheriff's Capt.MikeArandasaid. Aranda said Packer had lost his phone privileges because of previous behavior. Packer is accused of killing Brock and Davina Husted and her fetus at the couple's Faria Beach home in 2009. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in that case.

Deputies had to remove the 21-year-old suspect from his cell Sunday because they could not see what was going on inside, and he became combative to the point that medical staff had to sedate him, Aranda said. Packer suffered some self-inflicted injuries while thrashing around, Aranda said.

The medicine did not take full effect, however, and Packer started fighting with deputies while being transferred to another cell, Aranda said.

He suffered some facial injuries including a black eye, and several deputies suffered injuries including abrasions, Aranda said, adding that Packer probably will be charged with assaulting the deputies.

The deputies were treated and released.

Aranda said such incidents involving jail inmates are not uncommon, but they don't happen on a daily basis.

Packer was put on a special watch at the jail to prevent him from hurting himself in April 2010, officials said.

Packer appeared Tuesday in Ventura County Superior Court for sentencing on charges of felony dissuading a witness and misdemeanor hit-and-run in a 2009 traffic incident. The sentencing was postponed to July 13, court records show.

Packer's trial on a felony assault charge stemming from a separate 2009 incident at Ventura County Medical Center was set to begin this week with jury selection.

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