A violent outburst by an inmate at Five Points Correctional Facility left six staff members injured over the weekend, including a sergeant who was bitten several times and required hospital treatment.
The assault happened Saturday, September 6, as staff attempted to transfer the inmate to a Special Housing Unit after he was found guilty of disciplinary charges.
According to officials, the 25-year-old inmate initially complied with orders to leave his cell and was handcuffed without incident. But once placed in a holding cell, he spit on a sergeant, hitting him in the upper body and face. As officers attempted to move him into the Special Housing Unit and began to remove his restraints, the situation escalated.
The inmate turned and bit an officer’s hand before staff took him to the ground in a body hold. He continued to fight and bit the sergeant multiple times—on the hand, wrist, and thigh—while resisting being handcuffed. A second officer was also bitten, though that bite did not break the skin. Several staff members suffered shoulder, knee, and arm injuries during the struggle.
Despite his continued resistance, officers were able to regain control and complete a strip frisk before placing the inmate in the Special Housing Unit.
The sergeant was transported to Thompson Medical Center for treatment and did not return to duty. Five officers were treated at the facility and remained on shift.
The inmate, who remains unnamed in the report, is currently serving a six-to-seven-year sentence for first-degree assault and attempting to promote prison contraband, following a 2022 conviction in Erie County. He is scheduled for a parole interview in six months.
Kenny Gold, Western Region Vice President of the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), criticized current criminal justice policies in a statement following the incident.
“This assault at Five Points details how difficult it is for staff to subdue an extremely combative inmate,” Gold said. He pointed to the HALT Act and what he described as a lack of real consequences for inmates who attack staff. “Until [state lawmakers] understand this, our members will continue to be punching bags for the inmates.”
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