STORMVILLE – A female corrections officer was injured after she was assaulted by a visitor who became agitated while waiting to be let out of the Green Haven maximum security facility in Stormville.
The incident occurred on Friday, January 24, at approximately 1:50 p.m.
The visitor, whose name is being withheld at this time, was waiting to be cleared to leave the prison after visiting an inmate.
The visitor began banging on the door that separates the visiting room and lobby. The female officer opened the door to address the visitor when he aggressively pushed her in order to get through the door. The officer attempted to close the door. The visitor grabbed the officer and punched her in the face. Another officer responded and assisted the officer in closing the door.
Still in the visiting room, the visitor was placed in mechanical restraints by staff who responded to the assault.
New York State Police were called and responded to the facility and the visitor was turned over to them. The case is currently pending.
The officer, a six-year veteran of the department, was treated by the facility medical staff and taken to a local hospital for treatment. She was treated for swelling to her face and jaw, small laceration on her thumb, and pain in the right ear, right hip and knee. She did not return to duty.
“On a daily basis our members are attacked by violent inmates. We don’t expect that visitors, who are supposed to be law abiding citizens, would attack staff as well. With bail, SHU, and criminal justice reform rapidly occurring in this state, it appears that we are rewarding criminals for their behavior. The State of New York needs to do more to protect law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day by having penalties that are more than simply a slap on the wrist,” said Michael Mazzella, Mid-Hudson regional vice president of the New York State Corrections Officers PBA.
