Lino Lakes corrections officer placed on leave after inmate files restraining order

A corrections officer with the Lino Lakes state prison in Anoka County is on administrative leave after a restraining order filed against him was approved.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections confirmed with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Anthony Pietrzak is on leave.

In his petition for the restraining order, an inmate claimed Pietrzak “has harassed, threatened, and intimidated me, wrote lies, spread rumors, made vulgar and explicit gestures, he has bullied me on several occasions. I do not feel safe when he is around me.”

The inmate went on to claim Pietrzak “has continued to intimidate, dehumanize, name call and harass me for more than three months and has made threatening remarks about how he will not quit.”

An amended order indicated Pietrzak was ordered not to go within 500 feet of the inmate and the order is in effect until August 2022, unless changed by a later court update.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections issued a statement in response: “We take any allegations of improper conduct seriously and take appropriate action if allegations are substantiated.”