Several officers are recovering after an incident at the Elmira Correctional Facility late last week.
The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association reports that an inmate called an officer over to his cell when he reached through the bars and cut the officer on the nose with an unknown object.
Additional staff arrived on-scene and the inmate’s door was opened. The inmate then allegedly started coming at the officers.
Pepper spray was administered but had no effect. The inmate charged one officer, grabbed him round the waist and drove him into a set of bars.
Staff grabbed the inmate and forced him to the floor where he continued to ignore orders and resist being taken into custody.
Four officers suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
The inmate involved is serving a nine year sentence after being convicted of a downstate robbery, attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and assault.
Mark Deburgomaster, Western Region Vice President said expressed concerns with the latest incident, and ongoing worries about officer safety at New York’s prisons. “Makeshift weapons and drugs have been a constant problem at Elmira Correctional Facility. As inmate advocates continue to call for reduced disciplinary measures, our staff continue to be the subject of unprovoked attacks,” he said. “This was an attack by an inmate who has a history of violence and we are thankful that all the officers injured were not seriously hurt. This is exactly why significant disciplinary measures need to exist to deter this type of behavior. Without them, it exposes staff and other inmates to potentially dangerous situations at the hands of inmates who realize there are no repercussions for violent behavior.”
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