BATON ROUGE – An Elayn Hunt Correctional Center cadet has been booked on a battery charge after punching an inmate while on duty.

St. Gabriel Police detectives booked 23-year-old Eric Lands with simple battery.

After learning of the incident, the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections notified the police department and began an internal investigation. Detectives obtained video surveillance that showed Lands repeatedly hitting an inmate while on duty Sunday at the prison.

The incident occurred when Lands was escorting the inmate back to his cell. According to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, eyewitnesses said the incident began when the inmate spit in Lands' face.

Lands has been a corrections cadet since July 25.