Three Green Haven corrections officers injured during inmate attack

BEEKMAN – One officer sustained a broken jaw and two others were injured during an inmate attack on Friday, June 29 at Green Haven Correctional Facility, the union representing the officers reported on Monday.
The incident occurred around 8:20 p.m. when an inmate ran down a flight of stairs in his cell block, ran up to an officer and punched him in the face. The officer fell to the ground. The inmate turned to another officer and punched her in the right side of the face.
The inmate then ran from the scene back up the stairs toward his cell. He was confronted by a third officer who attempted to stop him, at which point the inmate pushed the officer down a flight of stairs and ran back into is cell.
The three officers were treated by medical personnel at the prison and then transported to Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie. The officer initially assaulted suffered a fractured jaw. The female officer sustained bruising and abrasions to her face, right arm and chest. The officer pushed down the stairs sustained a fractured right hand. The officers did not return to duty.
The officers’ union said this latest attack comes on the heels of six officers who were injured at Green Haven when they attempted to break up several inmates who had started to fight in the recreation yard.
The officers deployed pepper spray several times to two inmates when they refused orders to stop fighting.
All officers sustained minor injuries and remained on duty.
Once all inmates were removed from the yard, a search yielded three make-shift weapons.
“This attack is a pointed reminder of the dangerous environment our members face inside our prisons on a daily basis,” said Mike Mazzella, Mid-Hudson regional vice president of the New York State Corrections Officers PBA. “Three officers injured, two with fractures, after an unprovoked attack.”
He said five days earlier, a large fight in the rec yard caused six officers to sustain minor injuries. “That incident could easily have escalated to the point that the officers would have been grave danger,” Mazzella said.
“Day in and day out our officers work tirelessly to ensure the safety of all those inside the facilities as well as outside,” he said. “They heed the support and protection from the administration they deserve. We need to continue to advocate for disciplinary measures that will deter inmates from attacking staff, as well as criminally prosecute inmates that commit acts of violence.”