Press release
Attica , NY – Three officers were treated at an outside hospital after sustaining injuries in an inmate attack at the maximum security facility last month.
On Tuesday, April 20, two officers were about to conduct a cell frisk. They ordered the inmate to exit the cell. As the cell door was opened, the inmate jumped up from his bed and ran to the back of the cell and attempted to flush an object down the toilet. The two officers entered the cell. The inmate confronted them and struck one officer in the side of the face. The officers called for a response and began to struggle with the inmate. Two additional officers arrived and one administered OC Spray which had no effect. The four officers grabbed the inmate in a body hold and brought him to the ground. On the ground and still violently struggling and fighting with officers, the inmate was placed in handcuffs with the assistance of additional staff.
The inmate, 28, was removed from the cell and placed in a Special Housing Unit pending disciplinary proceedings. He is serving a two to five year sentence after being convicted in Bronx County for Robbery 3rd and Criminal Mischief 2nd in 2019.
A search of the inmate’s cell recovered a razor blade from the floor near the toilet.
Three officers were transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
The officer who was initially assaulted sustained swelling and pain to his forehead, right side of his head, hand and knee abrasions and was nauseous. He was treated and released. He did not return to duty.
Two additional officers also were treated for swelling and pain to their head and forehead. They were treated and released.
Three officers were treated by facility medical staff for pain and abrasions to their extremities sustained subduing the inmate.
“Yesterday NYSCOPBA announced a federal civil rights lawsuit over the HALT legislation specifically because of situations like this. An inmate, serving a relatively short sentence, violently attacking and injuring six officers while attempting to hide contraband. The disciplinary system is so watered down at this point, beyond the county district attorney prosecuting the inmate, the internal controls that currently exist are a mere slap on the wrist. DOCCS, at the very least needs to pursue criminal charges in this incident.” “
Days after this attacked occurred another inmate kicked and spit at an officer and a nurse at Five Points Correctional Facility. The officer was stuck in eye by the inmate’s saliva and needed to be treated at a hospital for exposure. These are real life dangerous situations our members have to face every day. Our elected officials who pushed through HALT, either do not want to grasp that or certainly fail to” – said Mark Deburgomaster , Western Region Vice President.