Convicted county clerk Tina Peters caught on camera in Pueblo prison altercation
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Surveillance video obtained by 9NEWS shows former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters involved in a physical altercation inside a Pueblo prison, fueling renewed claims from her allies that she is unsafe behind bars – claims that state corrections officials have heavily disputed.
The video, captured inside La Vista Correctional Facility on Jan. 18, shows Peters wheeling a cart to a doorway and beginning to pull it through the door before seemingly being stopped by another inmate, who grabs onto the cart as well. Both are partially obscured from view for about one second.
Peters then emerges from the doorway, and her hands appear to be around the other inmate's neck as she pushes her backward across the room. The two separate within a few seconds, and Peters walks back to the cart before leaving the room.
Watch the full surveillance video above.
The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) has confirmed that no one was injured in the incident and that it is being handled as a routine security matter, even as Peters’ allies point to the footage as new evidence in the fight over her continued incarceration.
On Monday, a social media account under Peters' name that posts updates from her legal team claimed the former county clerk was assaulted in the incident.
"Tina was inside a maintenance closet to fill up a water unit when an inmate approached her in the closet and began striking her in anger. Tina raised her hands and pushed the inmate away," the post read in part, also claiming that Peters had sustained "minor injuries."
Peters' allies also claimed she was placed in solitary confinement following the altercation, and that she was told she is "being charged with Felony Assault for defending herself against an unprovoked attack."
“This incident is clearly a targeted attack against Peters,” the social media post read. “In all likelihood, it is being used as an opportunity to isolate and harass Tina Peters.”
CDOC has pushed back on these claims and tells our partners at 9News that Peters was moved to a different housing area at La Vista Correctional Facility per standard safety procedure – not put in solitary. The department previously confirmed to KRDO13 that none of its facilities utilize solitary confinement.
Background on Tina Peters' incarceration
Peters is currently serving a nine-year sentence, handed down in 2024, for her role in a data-breach scheme she claimed aimed to prove President Donald Trump's now-debunked claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Since her incarceration, Peters has been at the center of a pressure campaign from the Trump administration, which has urged state officials to transfer her into federal custody. President Trump has repeatedly pressured federal officials to intervene, taking to Truth Social to call Peters an “innocent political prisoner” and urging the DOJ to "take all necessary action" to secure her release.
In December, Trump posted on Truth Social that he was granting Peters a "full pardon" from her nine-year sentence, but legal experts were quick to point out that the president does not have the power to pardon state charges.
Peters could be eligible for parole as early as 2028 if she maintains good behavior; at this time, it is unclear if this recent incident will affect her standing.
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