A corrections sergeant suffered serious facial injuries after an inmate attacked him during a response to an argument at Mid-State Correctional Facility.
The assault happened Saturday, January 24, at the medium-security prison in Marcy. A 31-year-old inmate refused orders during a pat frisk and suddenly struck the sergeant in the face, according to a statement from the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association.
Two officers on scene immediately intervened and forced the inmate to the ground. With help from an assigned National Guardsman, officers secured the inmate’s legs to stop him from kicking and placed him in handcuffs.
Staff escorted the inmate to the infirmary for evaluation and later admitted him to a Residential Rehabilitation Unit.
Medical staff initially treated the injured sergeant at the facility before transporting him to Wynn Hospital. Doctors determined he suffered two facial fractures and a deviated septum that will require corrective surgery.
“This was a brutal and violent assault that will leave another staff member out of work for weeks while he recovers from serious facial injuries,” said Bryan Hluska, Central Region vice president for the union.
Hluska said the inmate, who is serving a five-year sentence for attempted criminal possession of a weapon, should face felony assault charges in Oneida County. He also renewed calls for lawmakers to revisit the HALT Act and address safety concerns raised by correction officers.
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].