NEW CITY – A 32-year-old Westley Hills man has been indicted by a Rockland County grand jury on a charge of attempted murder in the first degree for allegedly placing a female corrections officer in a choke hold when he was an inmate at the county jail.
Israel Gourion was also charged with assault and strangulation in connection with the February 10 incident.
It is alleged that he attacked the officer without warning, placing her in a choke hold to obstruct her breathing.
Another inmate saw the attack and ran to the aid of the officer. When confronted by the Good Samaritan inmate, Gourion tightened his grip further restricting the officer’s breathing, but the other inmate was able to separate the assailant from the officer.
The victim’s fellow officers arrived and secured Gourion.
“We must ensure that we prosecute this individual for the attack on one of our corrections officers,” said District Attorney Thomas Walsh II. “The violent behavior cannot be tolerated. Thankfully, the officer was not more gravely injured.”
The sheriff’s and DA’s offices are continuing to investigate the situation.
