Two correction officers at Auburn Correctional Facility were assaulted with urine by an inmate while attempting to install a cell shield intended to prevent the throwing of bodily fluids, according to a release issued Dec. 9.
The incident occurred Thursday, Dec. 4, as officers approached a Special Housing Unit cell to install the shield following repeated threats the inmate had made against staff. As they neared the cell door, the inmate threw urine from a bucket into both officers’ faces and eyes. A response was immediately initiated, and the officers were taken to the infirmary, where medical staff determined they had experienced significant exposure. They were later transported to Auburn Community Hospital for additional treatment and did not return to duty.
When responding staff arrived at the SHU cell, they ordered the 26-year-old inmate to exit, but he refused. After repeatedly ignoring direct orders, chemical agents were deployed, prompting him to comply. He was then escorted to the infirmary for decontamination.
According to the release, the inmate is currently serving a two-to-four-year sentence for 2024 convictions in New York County for first-degree criminal contempt and second-degree escape. He is also eligible for a parole hearing this month.
In a statement, Kenny Gold, Western Region Vice President, condemned the attack, calling the act “one of the most despicable” an inmate can commit. He criticized what he described as growing public and political tolerance for such behavior and argued that while the law was strengthened several years ago to make this conduct a Class E felony, the HALT Act provides little deterrent. He urged lawmakers to amend the law to better protect corrections employees who interact daily with the incarcerated.
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