An inmate just days away from his scheduled release attacked and injured three correctional officers at Five Points Correctional Facility on Sept. 13, according to officials.
The 23-year-old inmate, who was set to be released on Oct. 5, became combative when officers attempted to escort him from a holding cell to the infirmary. After he refused multiple orders to exit the cell, three officers entered to remove him. The inmate resisted, and officers placed him in a body hold, guiding him toward a corner of the cell to gain control.
As the struggle intensified, the inmate kicked one officer several times in the groin, upper leg, and knee. He also struck a second officer in the hand. Despite his resistance, the officers managed to bring him to the floor, where he continued to fight. One officer secured his legs while another applied leg restraints. Once restrained, the inmate became compliant and was escorted to the infirmary for evaluation.
The injured officers received medical attention at the facility. The two officers who were kicked suffered pain and swelling to their upper legs, knees, groin, hand, and shoulder. Both remained on duty after treatment. The third officer sustained an abrasion to his elbow while subduing the inmate.
The inmate is serving a two- to six-year sentence for fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. He was originally arrested in 2018 for the armed robbery of a convenience store in Broome County.
“This is the type of violent inmate our members have to face every day inside jails across the state,” said Kenny Gold, Western Region Vice President. “It is incomprehensible that an inmate with little more than a week on his prison sentence would attack staff and jeopardize his impending freedom.”
Gold noted that the inmate allegedly threatened the officers, saying he would be waiting for them in the parking lot after his release. “If this inmate is willing to attack and injure staff, including a female officer, with little more than a week until his release, there is no way he should be walking free and be a threat to the public,” he said.
The incident has reignited criticism of New York’s Humane Alternatives to Long-Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act, which some officials believe has led to increased violence within prisons. “We continue to point to the HALT Act as the catalyst of the record-breaking violence, and the lawmakers in the supermajority sit silently and worry only about the inmates,” Gold stated. “They have a duty to protect the employees inside facilities like Five Points, and they turn their backs to our members and fail us every day.”
Gold questioned whether legislators would act if one of their own family members were assaulted. “What if this was a legislator’s daughter that was assaulted—would they listen then?” he asked.
The attack underscores ongoing concerns about staff safety and inmate behavior, particularly involving those nearing release. Officials are calling for a reassessment of policies to better protect correctional staff and the public.
Five Points Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison located in Romulus, has not released additional details about potential charges the inmate may face following the incident. The case remains under investigation.
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 news@fingerlakes1.com.