BEEKMAN – Corrections officers at Green Haven Correctional Facility faced two prisoner incidents in a matter of four days this month.
The first melee resulted in a rooftop officer firing three tear gas rounds at the inmates. Some 40 inmates began to throw rocks and attack officers in the recreation yard on May 8 after an inmate attacked an officer who refused to let him use one of the yard phones. In the ensuing melee, six officers were injured and one was taken for outside medical treatment for bruising, abrasions and swelling. The other officers remained on duty with minor injuries.
The incident occurred around 7:50 that night.
The officer wouldn’t let the inmate use the phone because he didn’t have his ID on him and the inmate attacked and punched the officer in the face, head and upper body. Additional officers arrived at the scene and attempted to get the inmate under control, but he continued to struggle, kick and punch at the officers.
During the struggle, 40 inmates surrounded the officers, were agitated and began to threaten and yell at them.
An officer at his rooftop post saw what was happening and fired gas into the crowd, but it had no effect. Several inmates began to punch, kick and throw water bottles and rocks at the officers. A second gas projectile was fired into the crowd, which initially pushed the crowd back.
The inmates regrouped and came back at the officers, flipping picnic tables to form a barricade. The officer fired a third gas charge pushing the inmates back. They ran toward the yard door, forced their way in past an officer and briefly ran through the cell block. They finally complied with officers’ orders and put their hands on the block wall. They were then returned to their cells.
The inmate who initially attacked the officer in the yard was brought under control, put in restraints and placed in a special housing unit. Two inmates from the large group in the yard were also placed in a special housing unit after being identified in the attack.
A search of the cell block recovered one makeshift weapon.
All the inmates face disciplinary charges.
Prisons spokesman Thomas Mailey said the agency “will not tolerate violence within its facilities and will hole anyone in violation of department rules or endangering others accountable.”
In an unrelated incident on May 14, an officer assigned in the package room received contraband that was inside a Goya Chick Pea can. Discovered inside were 58 grams of marijuana, 106 suboxone tabs, over 12 grams of heroin and more than 5.5 grams of cocaine. The drugs were seized as evidence and the investigation is continuing.
“In a span of four short days, we have had two large groups of inmates attack officers in prison recreation yards that could have resulted in serious injuries to our officers,” said Michael Mazzella, Mid-Hudson Region Vice President of New York State Corrections Officers and Police Benevolent Association.
“While the governor continues to promote his record on prison closures and select legislators continue to advocate for a reduction in discipline for inmates, our members continue to get attacked at an alarming rate, yet you don’t hear one work of concern from those elected officials,” Mazzella said. “Those who swear to protect and serve deserve far better from the governor and those legislators.”
Mailey said the successful seizure of contraband at Green Haven “is a clear display of the hard-working men and women of the department putting their training to work, while utilizing the technology investments and policy change that DOCCS has made under the governor’s leadership.”
