Inmate Accused of Violent Attack on N.Y. Corrections Officer
MARCY, NY Nov 23 2021—An inmate at a Central New York prison violently attacked a state corrections officer after she questioned him about complaints she had received about him, the officer’s union said.
The 32-year-old Mid-State Correctional Facility inmate is accused of hitting the female officer multiple times in the face and head, knocking her to the ground and kicking her in the head and face, according to the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association.
The officer suffered a broken nose and cuts during the attack at 9:20 a.m. Thursday at the medium-security correctional facility in Oneida County, union officials said.
In a statement, union officials said the injured officer was “making rounds in one of the housing dorms when she approached the inmate regarding complaints she was receiving about him. The inmate immediately took an aggressive stance against her.”
The officer administered one round of pepper spray, which had no effect on the inmate who then began attacking her, union officials said.
When other officers arrived, the injured officer was on the floor and the inmate had run to the recreation room. Officers helped their injured colleague to her feet and brought her to the infirmary. She was treated at the prison, then transported to St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica.
Meanwhile, staff found the inmate in the recreation room and “ordered him to submit to a pat frisk. He ignored the orders and became aggressive with staff,” union officials said. Officers administered pepper spray at the inmate again, but it once again had no effect on him.
“The officers grabbed the inmate in a body hold when he charged at them,” according to the union. “While in a body hold, the inmate continued to swing at the officers, striking one in the face. The officers forced the inmate to the ground as he continued to be combative. The officers were able to get his arms behind his back and apply handcuffs. Once in handcuffs, he became compliant.”
An officer who responded to the attack and was punched in the face suffered swelling in the right eye, limited movement in his right hand and right knee pain. He also was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center for treatment.
The female officer who suffered a broken nose and cuts to her nose and forehead, soreness to her neck and body pain received sutures to close two cuts. She was treated and released and did not immediately return to duty.
The accused inmate is serving a one- to four-year sentence for a 2020 second-degree attempted assault conviction from Schenectady County. After the attack, he was transferred to Auburn Correctional Facility in Cayuga County.
“As the state continues to close prisons and weaken the disciplinary system, violent attacks like this continue at a record level,” state Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association Central Region Vice President Bryan Hluska said in a news release. “This brutal, vicious attack could have been even worse if it wasn’t for the quick response of staff.”
The Oneida County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the attack.
