A correction officer was cut and six others were injured during separate incidents this month at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, according to the union representing state prison staff.
Five officers were injured Sept. 12 while attempting to remove a 37-year-old incarcerated man from his cell, the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association said. Three of the officers were taken to Cayuga Medical Center for treatment.
Officer cut during cell confrontation
The Sept. 12 confrontation began after the man refused an order to secure the recreation area attached to his cell, according to the union. An officer carrying a protective shield entered the cell with other staff members behind him.
The man advanced toward the officers and made slashing motions, prompting staff to place him in a body hold and force him to the floor, the union said. He allegedly continued resisting, spit at officers and attempted to pull another officer down by wrapping his legs around the officer’s legs.
Staff eventually handcuffed the man and moved him to a secure room.
One officer suffered injuries near his left eyebrow and on his forearm, along with a cut to the right side of his torso. The union said the forearm cut was about 2 inches long and the torso wound was about 6 inches long.
Four other officers reported shoulder and hand injuries, along with abrasions to their hands and knees. Two of those officers were also taken to Cayuga Medical Center.
A search of the cell uncovered a weighted sock containing three bars of soap and a broken state-issued razor blade, according to the union. Staff members believe the razor may have been used to cut the officer.
Two officers hurt breaking up mess hall fights
Two more officers were injured Sept. 9 while responding to separate fights during morning meals in two mess halls.
In the first incident, two incarcerated men continued exchanging punches after ignoring repeated orders to stop. The union said staff used pepper spray four times without effect before officers separated the men using body holds. A National Guard member assisted officers in restraining one of them.
A second fight involved three incarcerated men. Pepper spray stopped one participant, while officers and a National Guard member physically separated the other two, according to the union.
Two officers reported lower back, facial and knee pain after the fights. Both were treated by medical staff at the prison and remained on duty.
Incarcerated man faces discipline after visit
The union also reported an unrelated Aug. 19 incident in which a 22-year-old incarcerated man allegedly slapped his wife during a scheduled family visit.
An officer assigned to the visiting room witnessed the incident and removed the man from the area. His wife declined to pursue criminal charges, but the man faces prison disciplinary action, according to the union.
The man is serving an 18-year sentence following 2022 convictions in Rensselaer County for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and attempted second-degree robbery.
NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President Kenny Gold said the incidents illustrate the dangers officers face inside state prisons.
“These incidents are another reminder of the dangers correction officers face every day,” Gold said.
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 news@fingerlakes1.com.