Multiple State Correctional Officers are recovering from injuries sustained in two separate attacks at the Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy.

According to NYSCOPBA Vice President Bryan Hluska the first of the two attacks occurred on Thursday, July 16th. Hluska says after an inmate was given orders to return to their dorm, the inmate became agitated and charged toward the officer. Hluska says initially the inmate struck the guard in the chest, but continued the attack by hitting the officer in the chest and face.

It was the intervention of another inmate that ended the attack. That inmate removed the attacking inmate from the officer and held him against a wall until additional help arrived. The officer was treated for his injuries and returned to duty. The 42-year-old inmate who attacked the officer was placed in a special housing unit and is facing disciplinary measures, according to Hluska. The inmate is serving a three year sentence after being convicted in New York County in 2019 for Sex Abuse 1st.

The second incident happened at the same facility on Saturday, July 18th and resulted in injuries to five correctional officers. Bryan Hluska says, the inmate became irate when given orders and punched the officer in the stomach and eye. Other officers responded to try and subdue the man, but sustained injuries. Hluska says, pepper spray had to be deployed and one officer even had his pinky bit by the inmate. Four of the five officers were treated at the facility and returned to duty and the officer whose pinky was bit was transported to an outside hospital and treated for lacerations, according to Hluska. The 27-year-old inmate was placed in a Special Housing Unit after the attack. He is serving a five year sentence after being convicted of Attempted Robbery 1st in Broome County in 2015.

Hluska says, "Even with restrictions to inmate movement during the first five months of this pandemic, assaults on staff continue to surge and are on pace to exceed 2019. Two more assaults within two days of each other injuring six officers. Thankfully in one assault, an inmate chose to come to the aid of the officer, otherwise his injuries could have been much worse. I strongly encourage the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office to prosecute both inmates."

It's bad enough the prison system is dealing with COVID-19, but for officers to have to handle what are becoming regular attacks is a whole other level of risk.

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