A routine wellness check at Mid-State Correctional Facility turned violent when an inmate armed with a homemade weapon allegedly attacked staff, injuring two correction officers before being subdued.
The incident happened May 29 at the medium-security prison in Marcy. According to the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, staff became concerned after an inmate covered his cell window with a towel, preventing officers from seeing inside.
After multiple unsuccessful attempts to communicate with the inmate, a team of three correction officers and a National Guard member entered the cell to conduct a welfare check.
Officials said the inmate was discovered hiding in an attached recreation pen and immediately charged at responding personnel while wielding a homemade weapon. A National Guard member used a shield to push the inmate back as he repeatedly attempted to stab staff.
During the struggle, one correction officer was stabbed in the forearm and another was stabbed in the knee before staff gained control of the inmate. Authorities said the inmate continued resisting while on the ground but was eventually restrained and moved to a holding cell.
Both injured officers received medical treatment at the facility before being transported to a local urgent care center, where they received sutures. Both are expected to recover.
Staff later recovered a six-inch sharpened weapon from the inmate’s cell. Investigators determined the weapon had been fashioned from a piece of plastic broken off the inmate’s electronic tablet.
The inmate was subsequently transferred to Auburn Correctional Facility.
Union officials said the incident highlights the dangers correction officers face when responding to situations in which inmates intentionally block staff from observing conditions inside cells. The union also renewed criticism of the state’s HALT Act, arguing that criminal prosecution may provide the strongest deterrent in cases involving assaults on correction staff.
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