TOWN OF GOUVERNEUR, New York (WWNY) – An inmate attack sent three officers at the Gouverneur Correctional Facility to the hospital earlier this month.
That’s according to the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents the officers.
NYSCOPBA says the attack happened on September 3 when an inmate was able to slip out of one of his handcuffs.
The inmate, who’s serving a 5-year sentence for assault, punched an officer in the chest and chin, according to the union,
Additional staff responded and forced the inmate to the ground.
The union says the inmate continued to attack staff.
Three officers were injured in the incident. One officer sustained right knee, neck and arm pain. A second officer sustained thigh pain and reddened eyes. A third officer sustained a bicep injury.
All three officers were treated at an outside hospital and released.
According to the union, the assault follows several inmate fights in the month of August in which numerous inmates sustained lacerations and puncture wounds from make-shift weapons. An ice pick type weapon, sharpened metal can lid and sharpened ceramic tile were recovered by staff after separate inmate on inmate attacks occurred at the facility. One inmate sustained a puncture wound to his hand and another sustained several lacerations to his head, face and neck area after being attacked in his cube in the dorm.
NYSCOPBA says another fight involved three inmates who struck each other with an iPad, broom handle and mop handle. After the fight was contained by staff, two inmates were found with metal padlocks hidden in their pants.
Staff also recovered Suboxone strips that were hidden in inmate mail at the facility, the union said.
“This is a broken record that must be fixed. Attacks on staff continue at an alarming rate and officers are getting injured every day. This latest attack at Gouverneur, is yet another example of a broken disciplinary system that has no teeth to deter attacks from occurring. The stabbings, inmate fights, and drugs and weapons recovered, are just a reminder of how dangerous the prisons are for staff,” said NYSCOPBA Central Region Vice President Bryan Hluska.
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