Five correction officers were exposed to bloodborne pathogens and two were injured while responding to a suicide attempt at Albion Correctional Facility late last month, according to a union release.
The incident occurred March 27 inside the facility’s medical unit, where officers found a 28-year-old inmate who had cut herself multiple times and tied a sheet around her neck. Staff intervened after an officer discovered the situation and called for backup.
Responding officers entered the cell and restrained the inmate, who was also using a piece of metal removed from a junction box to inflict additional injuries. During the struggle, the inmate resisted and began spitting blood, exposing multiple officers to bodily fluids.
Officials said one officer suffered blood exposure to the eyes, while two others sustained shoulder and knee injuries during the effort to subdue the inmate. Four officers required additional medical treatment at Erie County Medical Center and did not return to duty.
Medical staff applied a tourniquet to control bleeding, and the inmate was transported to a hospital for treatment of multiple lacerations to the forearm, wrist, thigh, and neck.
Union officials said the officers’ actions likely saved the inmate’s life, while highlighting the risks correction staff face during emergency responses inside facilities.
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