Four officers at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus were treated at area hospitals after being attacked in the prison mess hall on Monday, January 31.
The police union is calling the event a riot, but the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has countered that assertion, saying the event was a serious incident but a full-scale riot did not occur.
According to the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), two inmates refused to leave the mess hall on Monday, and they were out in a body hold by officers. Another officer was punched in the head, according to Finger Lakes Times. Union officials say the incident escalated and at least eight inmates attacked seven officers, with one officer knocked unconscious. Corrections officers eventually used pepper spray to subdue the inmates.
Four inmates were transferred to Elmira Correctional Facility, three to Attica Correctional Facility, and the three inmates identified as inciting the riot were placed in special housing units at Five Points.
The PBA says three officers and a corrections sergeant were taken to Geneva General Hospital for jaw, knee, and head pain. The officer knocked unconscious was taken to Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca. They have all been since released.
Seneca County District Attorney Mark Sinkiewicz said prison officials will turn over incident reports to state police. The union has called for the inmates to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]