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 ksandvig@jailsergeant.com 

Inmate Attacks Florida Deputy Over Blanket

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. -- A Hernando County Jail inmate is accused of battering a law enforcement officer after refusing to give up his blanket and telling a deputy to try and take it.

Robert Murphy III, of Spring Hill, is charged with assault and battery on a law enforcement officer after deputies say he fell to the ground with a deputy Tuesday while wrestling for possession of a blanket, according to a Hernando County Sheriff's Office report.

Detention Deputy A. Wisecup was assisting a nurse at the jail when Murphy approached them while wearing a gray blanket over him. It's against the jail's rules for inmates to wear blankets outside their cells, the report shows.

Wisecup told Murphy multiple times to takeoff the blanket, according to the report, which Murphy refused. He then told the deputy, "You try and take it."

The two struggled over the blanket and then went to the ground after Murphy grabbed hold of Wisecup's elbow, the report showed. He was able to then restrain Murphy with the help of other deputies who came to assist him.

Wisecup did sustain a small abrasion to the back of his head, which bled. He later received medical attention for it, according to the report.

Murphy meanwhile was given an additional $5,000 bond for the battery charge. He was previously arrested on Nov. 13 on charges of violating his probation for failure to appear in court.

Inmate Attacks and Injures Correctional Officer

November 21, 2010
WALBTV.com

CARROLL COUNTY, Md. -- A correctional officer is recovering after being beaten by an inmate at the Carroll County Detention Center, officials said.

 Investigators said inmate Dennis Barry Jennings Jr. attacked Officer Sean Davis in a direct supervision housing unit at about 10:52 a.m. Sunday.

 Deputies said Davis was seated at a podium when Jennings grabbed a chair and tried to strike Davis without provocation.

 Officials said Jennings then started to beat Davis with his fists.

 The sheriff's office said Davis was able to maintain control in the unit until help arrived.

 Deputies said Davis was treated for severe facial injuries at the Carroll Hospital center. He is in stable condition.

 Investigators said Jennings is awaiting trial on burglary and theft charges.

 Officials said he faces more charges as a result of the attack.

Both inmates were charged with battery

ABC Action News

LAND O' LAKES, Fla. - The Pasco County Sheriff's Office has released a video after two inmates were involved in an incident at the Land O'Lakes Detention Center in Pasco County.

The video shows 41-year-old Cornelius Alexander, an inmate at the Land O'Lakes Detention Center using the telephone. After being told to get off the phone several times, a detention deputy had the phone disconnected. Alexander then started to yell at the detention deputy, and used both his hands to push the deputy on his chest.

The detention deputy then brought Alexander to the ground in order to handcuff the suspect.

The second inmate, identified as 22-year-old Bobby Lee Black attempted to join the incident and jumped on the back of the deputy, attempting to grab the deputies arms.

He was subdued by other detention deputies.

Alexander was arrested for one count of Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, and Black was arrested for two counts of Battery on LEO.

The Detention Deputies were not seriously injured in the incident.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy attacked in Jail by convicted quadruple murderer Scott Lamar Abbott

October 9, 2010
Dawn Kent
The Birmingham News

Jail inmates assault Officers

Published: Nov. 24, 2010
UPI.com

NEW YORK, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Inmates at a New York's Riker's Island jail compound assaulted officers, injuring 15 in the scuffle, a police union official said.

Corrections Officers' Benevolent Association spokesman Michael Skelly said Tuesday's 8 p.m. incident at the Otis Bantum Corrections Center, one of the largest components of the Riker's facility, allegedly began when several officers attempted to lock inmates in for the evening, CNN reported.

More officers responded and were also attacked before order was restored, Skelly said.

The union president blamed the incident and resultant officer injuries on low staffing levels, saying it is a matter of time before an officer is killed at the hands of a violent inmate, CNN reported.

Inmate guilty of stabbing Deputy

November 24, 2010
By JOHN ASBURY
The Press-Enterprise

 A Corona gang member already sentenced to two consecutive life sentences has been convicted of slitting a deputies throat while awaiting trial at a Riverside jail.

Jose Ageo Amaya, 28, was convicted Tuesday of six felonies, including attempted murder, for the 2007 attack at the Robert Presley Detention Center. He now faces an additional 95 years to additional life terms when he is set to be sentenced Jan. 28.

Amaya had already been convicted in 2006 on eight charges, related to an attempted murder and carjacking while he was a member of the Corona Varrio Locos.

Prosecutors described him as a career criminal who was just as violent in jail as when he was free on the streets. "For being so young, he was one of the most violent guys I've ever prosecuted," Deputy District Attorney David Tehan said.

Shortly after his first arrest in 2004, while in jail, he jumped another inmate who had talked to police about a robbery Amaya was involved in and slashed his face. He was charged with mayhem for the disfigurement, but that charge was dropped when the victim fled the area and refused to testify, Tehan said.

Three years later, in June 2007, he refused to come out of his cell, then pulled a shank made from a razor blade and stabbed a deputy in the throat, according to court records.

Amaya led two other inmates in a chase down the jail hallway before he and the other men were captured. The deputy tried to block the attack, but the stabbing left his jugular exposed.

The jail classified Amaya as a high-risk offender and ordered him to solitary confinement following the attack. He was required to wear mittens and shackles during his trial so he could not move his hands, Tehan said. He was only one of about five of 5,000 inmates to receive that type of classification, Tehan said.

Don't Ever Think You Have No Recourse If Injured at Work!!!  (Please Read This Article)

There are numerous ways to be injured while working in our nation's Jails and Prisons. In addition to what might immediately come to mind, such as being injured by an inmate/prisoner, there are numerous other, more subtle, threats. For example, consider a situation where a Corrections Officer/Prison Guard contracts MRSA from another prisoner or the Jail's/Prison's facilities. MRSA infections have the potential of inflicting great bodily harm, such as scarring or other deformities, even when being treated. Such a case would be cause for significant compensation for the injured Corrections Officer under workers' compensation laws.

This is only one example of the types of injuries a Corrections Officer/Prison guard can suffer from during the course of employment. In this example, the Officer was exposed to an infectious disease and became ill. Due to the nature of staph infections, there is a potential for recurring infections over the course of several years. Not all injuries are so long lasting, however. Other types of injuries that Correction's and Prison Guard's may suffer from include:

• Stab wounds
• Gunshot wounds
• Broken limbs
• Head trauma
• Injury due to exposure to hazardous materials on site
• Injury due to exposure to infectious diseases
• Injury from fire or explosions
• Injury due to prisoner attack
• Being stabbed by homemade weaponry
• Injuries during escape attempts
• Injury during prison riots or unrest
• Becoming ill as a result of exposure to diseased inmates

Regardless of the type of injury you have suffered during the course of duty in a prison or correctional facility, you have a right under the law to obtain compensation for lost wages or medical and hospital expenses. Employed in a Jail or Prison is one of the most dangerous and at the same time, most important of all jobs in our society. Many States recognizes the perils of this occupation and has instituted several statutes that apply specifically to Corrections Officers who are injured on the job. These statutes are not easily navigated, however, which is why you need help from a skilled injury attorney with the experience and aptitude to fight for compensation under the law and defend your rights.

            Any Questions?.....send me an e-mail.                   Sergeant Sandvig

Inmates attack Guard in escape from Wayne Co. Jail

November 28, 2010
WRAL.com

Goldsboro, N.C. — Two inmates severely beat a male detention officer at the Wayne County jail Saturday and escaped briefly, according to the sheriff's office.

The men – Michael David Minard, 19, of 218 Mimmosa Drive in Goldsboro, and Tracey Deaver, 18, of 103 Deaver Drive in Dudley – made it to the street but were apprehended in Willow Dale Cemetery off Elm Street, just a couple blocks away.

Det. Keith Hartzog said the men blocked their cell door so that it appeared to be closed but was not. After Detention Officer Albert Anders, 53, checked the door and turned his back, the men jumped him, took his keys and locked him inside.

During the attack, other inmates in the jail made noise, drawing the attention of the other guards. “In their own way, they raised the alarm,” Hartzog said.

The suspects broke a door to get into the courthouse and used an emergency exit to get outside, Hartzog said.

Goldsboro police, state troopers and Wayne County sheriff's deputies joined in the search and arrest of the men.

Minyard was jailed on charges of second-degree kidnapping, assault by strangulation, assault on a female and communicating threats. Deaver was charged with statutory rape, larceny and injury to personal property. Charges related to the attack and escape are pending, Hartzog said.

Anders was treated at Wayne Memorial Hospital. He said he was still sore Saturday afternoon.

UT inmate charged after assault on Jail Guard

November 26, 2010

KPVI News6

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A Utah State Prison inmate has been charged with aggravated assualt after allegedly punching a jail guard and breaking his jaw.

Prosecutors charged 27-year-old Michael Twine with the
first-degree felony in 3rd District Court on Wednesday stemming from a June incident at the Salt Lake County Jail. He was also charged with third-degree felony assualt by a prisoner.

Court papers say Twine was being held in the jail awaiting transfer to the prison when he punched a guard during a random cell search. The officer, who's jaw was fractured, was knocked out and fell on Twine's bed.

No hearing has been set. It was not clear Thursday if Twine had an attorney.

Twine is currently serving a prison term of up to five years for a previous drug conviction.

Man injures Officers during disturbance at County Jail

November 30, 2010
By KATE SCHOTT
Daily Chronicle

SYCAMORE, Illinois – Several police officers were injured early Sunday after an inmate in the county jail allegedly became combative.

Sheriff Roger Scott said Keith Lowrance, 21, was in a cell by himself when he started ramming his head against the wall shortly after midnight Sunday.

“He decided he was going to ram his head against the wall,” Scott said. “He did it more than once, which caused injury to his head and caused a lot of bleeding.”

Lowrance, of Somonauk, has been in the jail on a $100,000 bond since he was arrested Oct. 27 on charges of residential burglary, aggravated battery, criminal damage to property, criminal damage to state-supported property and resisting a peace officer.

An officer went into the cell to assist Lowrance and to try to treat the injury, Scott said, but Lowrance became belligerent and began fighting the officer. Other corrections deputies came to assist, and then patrol officers booking other people into the jail also came to help as Lowrance became more combative, Scott said.

Lowrance removed his clothing and smeared peanut butter on his body that he had saved from a meal, Scott said. Several officers were punched during the fight, and one was bitten by Lowrance, Scott said. One officer also had his uniform ripped.

Little Rock, Arkansas - A Pulaski County Deputy is in critical condition Sunday night at UAMS after being severely beaten by an inmate. The Sheriff's department tells FOX16 Deon Earnest attacked 63-year-old Detention Deputy William Owens with a handful of pencils and kicked him in the head leaving him with a severe skull fracture, facial fractures, and lacerations on his face.

A spokesperson from the Sheriff's office says doctors had to put a metal plate in Owens' head during surgery late Saturday night into Sunday morning.

"We just hope Deputy Owens recovers quickly," says Lt. Carl Minden with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department.

This happened at 5:30 Saturday evening when Earnest was out of his cell in the maximum security unit of the jail during his hour break, a break all inmates are required to have once a day. Each inmate is let out one at a time. We're told Earnest asked Deputy Owens if he could sharpen his pencil, and that's when the attack happened.

"To my knowledge, he didn't have any history with the deputy. I don't know if you'd say it was premeditated or something snapped. I don't know what caused him to do it," says Lt. Minden.

We spoke to Owens' mother, who lives next door to her son. She says Owens is a good man and worked at a trucking accessories company for several years and started working for the jail about a year ago.

Minden says inmates are allowed to have pencils in the jail. He tells FOX16 another deputy was in the unit when this happened, but it took several deputies responding before Earnest "surrendered." Minden also says Earnest hasn't had any previous altercations with any of the guards.

Deon Earnest was charged with First Degree Battery on a Correctional Officer and two counts of felony Terroristic Threatening. Earnest has been in the jail since last September for several charges including firing a weapon from a car, terroristic acts, and battery from the Little Rock Police Department. Earnest had a bond of $1,000,000 for those charges.

This is the second attack in less than two weeks at the jail; accused terrorist Abdulhakim Muhammad tried to stab a guard through a portal in his cell door.

December 2, 2010

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) – A Chatham County Sheriff's Office deputy was taken to the hospital Wednesday night after he was attacked by an inmate in the jail.

Cpl. David Carpenter was attacked by 26-year-old Ninja Hassan Wheeler just after 6 p.m. Wednesday inside one of the inmate housing units at the Chatham County Detention Center, according to the Chatham County Sheriff's Office. 

Wheeler attacked Carpenter after he complained about his dinner tray, according to the sheriff's office. Wheeler told the deputy he couldn't eat the red sauce that was on his meal and then hit Carpenter several times, according to sheriff's office officials.

Carpenter was bleeding from his ear, suffered a contusion on his forehand and dislocated a finger. He was treated and released from Memorial University Medical Center. He's recovering at home.

It took four deputies and a Taser to subdue Wheeler. He was examined by a nurse and was not injured. Wheeler is now being held in a disciplinary segregation cell and no longer has any contact with any other inmates. Any time he leaves his cell he will be placed in restraints.

Wheeler arrived Nov. 29 at the Chatham County Detention Center. He was extradited from California on a murder charge issued by Savannah-Chatham metro police.  

Wheeler now faces charges of aggravated assault on a police officer.

Sheriff Al St. Lawrence said there has been an increase in disciplinary problems with inmates so his deputies are under a lot of stress. The sheriff attributes that to jail overcrowding. 

There are 1,924 inmates living in a jail that is made to hold 1,224, according to the sheriff's office. 

The sheriff' is waiting on Chatham County Commissioners to award a contract to a general contractor so they can start work on the jail's $100 million expansion project to increase the number of cells to 2,100.

   2007 Statistics

Assaults on Corrections Officers

33,000 inmate on staff assaults per year
90 assaults per day, 3.7 per hour

2.7 staff assaults per 100 inmates – county
1.4 staff assaults per 100 inmates – state
0.9 staff assaults per 100 inmates – federal

A Correctional Officer will be seriously assaulted at least twice in a 20 year career.

Source:  US Government Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, 31st Edition,
US Department of Justice, Washington DC

OSWEGO, N.Y. -- An inmate in the Oswego County Correctional Facility faces additional charges after an alleged incident with a corrections officer.

Raymond Crouch Jr. of Oswego is accused of scratching the face of and spitting on an officer.
The sheriff's office says the alleged attack happened after the officer asked Crouch to stop doing something.

Crouch is now charged with assault while confined in a correctional facility and public lewdness.

Inmate Accused Of Jail Assault

Dec 27, 2010
KWQC.com

Inmate restrained after assaults on staff at Frederick County Adult Detention Center

Originally published December 30, 2010
By Brian Englar
News-Post Staff 

The bail status of the man charged with stabbing his stepbrother on Christmas Eve remains the same until at least next week after his scheduled bail hearing was postponed for a third time Wednesday.

Staff at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center have been unable to get Justin Freland to participate in a hearing, and officials said he has assaulted several staff members and exposed others to bodily fluids in the five days he has been held there.

8 Injured In Md. Prison Assaults

January 3, 2011
CBSBaltimore.com 

CRESAPTOWN, Md. (AP) — A Maryland Corrections spokesman says eight Correctional Officers suffered minor injuries in two separate assaults New Year’s Eve at the North Branch Correctional Institution. 

Corrections spokesman Mark Vernarelli says the first assault occurred about 5 p.m. Friday when an officer was struck in the face by an inmate heading to dinner at the western Maryland prison. 

Vernarelli says several inmates assaulted other officers a short time later. One officer suffered facial injuries, another hurt a knee and other officers were taken to the hospital to be treated for exposure to pepper spray. 

Vernarelli says searches conducted after the assaults did not find any weapons. 

Two Deputy Jailers injured after inmate assault

Corrections Officers without question have the most violent, dangerous and stressful job in the world.  Sergeant Sandvig

January 3, 2011
Misty Maynard
The Ledger Independent

VANCEBURG -- Two Lewis County Detention Center deputies suffered lacerations to their hands, neck and faces after allegedly being assaulted by an inmate attempting to escape.
According to the Lewis County Sheriff's Office, around 10 p.m., Sunday, Dustin Egbert, 26, complained to deputy jailers that his commode was leaking in the observation cell where he was being held, making his mat wet. Two deputies opened the cell door to retrieve the mat when Egbert pushed the door open and assaulted the deputy jailers with a homemade knife, according to the sheriff's office.

Lewis County Sheriff Johnny Bivens said Deputy Jailer Joshua Lewis suffered the most severe injuries, including a 6-inch laceration to his throat that would have likely been fatal if Egbert had taken more time to sharpen the weapon.

"There's no doubt that he was intending to kill him and even made the statement that he would kill him," Bivens said.

Lewis also suffered multiple stab wounds.

A second deputy jailer, Wayne Hensley received stitches for lacerations he suffered during the assault.

Lewis County Jailer Chris McCane said Hensley and Lewis attempted to restrain Egbert, but when Egbert attempted to bite Lewis, Lewis shifted his grip, keeping it on the weapon. Egbert then let go of the weapon and was able to run through the jail toward the side where state prisoners are incarcerated, McCane said.

A third deputy jailer, Edzel Esham was posted on stateside and had been alerted to the incident, McCane said. He intercepted Egbert and was bitten on the thumb by him, McCane said.

An alert was sent from the control room to the Lewis County 911. Deputies Jason Hill and Dwayne Stone from the Lewis County Sheriff's Office as well as Vanceburg Police Lt. Tom Flannigan responded to the scene, according to police. Jailer Tim Underwood and McCane, who was to officially assume his jailer duties in just hours, also responded to the scene.

Bivens said the assault and attempted escape lasted little more than a minute before the deputy jailers had Egbert in a cell. Egbert was restrained before officers arrived.

Hensley and Lewis were transported to Meadowview Regional Medical Center where they were treated and released. Esham was treated on the scene by emergency responders.

"They're troopers," McCane said of the staff involved in the incident. "They did their job very well ... Couldn't have asked for two better guys."

McCane said Egbert's demeanor prior to the incident had been calm and polite. He had been placed in the observation cell because he was an admitted drug addict and jail staff were watching him to insure he had no medical problems.

According to police, the knife used had been fashioned from a portion of a metal vent, which had been filed down using the edge of the sink in Egbert's cell. McCane said inmates can "pretty much tear up a steel ball," but did not know if Egbert managed to get the vent out himself or if he completed the work started by an inmate previously held in the observation cell.

Stone said he spoke to Egbert after the incident.

"I said, 'you really messed up,'" Stone said. "All he could do was apologize. It's too late for apologies."

Stone said Egbert must have been desperate. Egbert was being held for multiple charges in Ohio for allegedly committing four bank robberies, three at the Charter One Bank in Portsmouth and the fourth at Liberty Federal Bank in Ironton. Joshua "Spanky" Applegate, 28, has also been charged in connection with the bank robberies.

"He was remorseful after the bank robberies, too," Bivens said of the remorse Egbert displayed about the assault incident. "That's just the way it is. He's not a bit remorseful."

Egbert has been charged with attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault, third-degree assault, first-degree promoting contraband and first-degree attempted escape.

Jailer injured in assault; inmate charged

• Correctional officer reportedly punched, kicked • Foy faces willful injury and assault charges

January 5, 2011
By AMBER WILLIAMS
Messenger staff writer

WA Jail Guard seriously injured by inmate

The King County Jail commander says a guard at the suburban Kent lockup suffered "very serious" injuries when an inmate assaulted him in a common area of the jail's administrative-segregation unit.

January 12, 2011
The Associated Press

SEATTLE —

The King County Jail commander says a guard at the suburban Kent lockup suffered "very serious" injuries when an inmate assaulted him in a common area of the jail's administrative-segregation unit.

Cmdr. William Hayes says that unidentified officer was hospitalized after Tuesday's attack. A second officer who helped restrain the inmate was also sent to a hospital. Two other detention workers suffered minor injuries.

Hayes told The Seattle Times that privacy rules prevent him from providing details of the officers' injuries.

He also refused to discuss what prompted the fight, saying it is under investigation.

The commander says the 32-year-old inmate has been in custody since 2009 and is awaiting trial on a first-degree robbery charge.

Update to the story above

King County Detention Officer assaulted by Jail inmate

January 12, 2011
Sara Jean Green
SeattleTimes.com

A Detention Officer at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent was hospitalized Tuesday after an inmate assaulted him in a common area in the jail's administrative-segregation unit.

A Detention Officer at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent was hospitalized Tuesday after an inmate assaulted him in a common area in the jail's administrative-segregation unit.

Cmdr. William Hayes said the officer suffered "very serious" injuries and a second officer, who jumped in to help restrain the inmate, was also injured badly enough to be sent to the hospital. Two others received minor injuries while moving the inmate inside the Kent facility.

"We're very lucky. It could've been a lot worse than it was," said Hayes, the commander of the jail. He said patient-privacy laws barred him from providing details about the officers' injuries.

Asked what sparked the fight between the inmate and officer, Hayes said, "I can't go into that" because the incident is still under investigation.

Two sources with knowledge of the incident said the inmate had previously threatened to kill the officer.

The sources, who asked to remain anonymous because they aren't authorized to speak to the media, said the officer asked to be moved out of the administrative-segregation unit after the inmate threatened his life. But the officer was then assigned to work as a "rover," relieving other officers working in the unit when they went on break.

As the officer entered the unit on Tuesday afternoon to relieve another officer, the inmate, who had been in the shower, came out and sucker-punched the officer, causing him to fall back and smash his head, the sources said. The officer who had been going on break rushed back into the unit and fought with the inmate, stopping him from stomping the injured officer, they said.

"He got his bell rung pretty good and has cuts on the back of his head," one of the sources said of the injured officer.

The officer who intervened was sent to the hospital to have his hands checked out; they were swollen but not broken, the sources said.

Hayes declined to comment on the sources' account because of the ongoing investigation.

"This was an unprovoked attack on an officer and that's how we're viewing it," he said. "We're looking into why it occurred."

The inmate has been in custody since 2009 and is awaiting trial on a first-degree robbery charge, Hayes said.

The 32-year-old inmate was housed in the jail's administrative-segregation unit, where inmates are typically locked in their cells the majority of the time and allowed out individually to make phone calls or exercise. In contrast, general-population inmates have "rack-out times" when they are allowed into common areas, Hayes said.

The inmate was moved to the King County Jail in Seattle and has been placed on "ultra-security status," something that's reserved for inmates with a history of attacks on jail staff, Hayes said.

He declined to say whether jail officers have had previous issues with the inmate. The most seriously injured officer is in his 40s and has been with the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention for about 10 years, Hayes said. He is expected to remain in the hospital for the next few days.

"Right now, we're just concerned that he gets well," Hayes said.

Once the investigation is done, Hayes said, the case will be sent to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office so prosecutors can decided if additional charges are warranted.

Tampa Jail Deputy injured in inmate fight

January 15, 2011
Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A Tampa jail deputy is recovering after breaking his leg while trying to break up an inmate fight.

Inmate charged after allegedly hitting Corrections Officer

By WKTV News
January 19, 2011

ORISKANY, N.Y. (WKTV) - A corrections officer at the Oneida County Correctional Facility suffered head injuries after an altercation with an inmate.

Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol says the corrections officer was attempting to bring the inmate back to the housing area after he used the phone when the incident took place. Officials say Michael Nero, 31, of Rome attempted to avoid returning to his housing area. The officer attempted to restrain Nero, who turned and allegedly struck the officer in the face with his fist.

The officer lost his footing and fell backwards, striking his head on the cell block bars. Nero is now charged with 2nd degree Assault, a felony. NEWSChannel 2 archives show Nero was arrested in December 2010, and charged with burglary and sexual misconduct. The officer was treated at the emergency room and has since been released.

Ionia prisoners attack and injure Corrections Officers

January 20, 2011
LSJ.com

IONIA - A corrections officer is in serious but stable condition at a Lansing-area hospital after being attacked Wednesday night at an Ionia prison, officials said.

Three other corrections officers were treated for minor injuries after the incident, which happened at the Michigan Reformatory, said Department of Corrections Public Information Officer John Cordell.

Two prisoners were involved, Cordell said. They were returning to their housing unit, when - apparently without provocation - they assaulted one officer, Cordell said.

Another officer responded, and that officer also was assaulted by the prisoners, Cordell said.

The prisoners then went to an upper floor and were ordered to stop. One laid down on the floor; the other assumed an aggressive "fighting stance," Cordell said.

As officers approached to control that prisoner, the one who had been laying down "sprang to his feet and attacked the officer who was the most seriously injured," Cordell said.

That officer is expected to recover and be released within a few days, Cordell said.

He commended the officers for their response and ultimately controlling two prisoners, who Cordell said "were bent on assaulting as many staff as possible."

"They were able to control (the prisoners) very quickly and limit the amount of damage these prisoners could have done," he said.

The two prisoners, who previously were being held in medium-security units, have been transferred to the Ionia Maximum Correctional Facility.

         ** UPDATE **
Officers at State Reformatory in Ionia injured in fight

Sheriff: Inmate at Jail assaulted Correction Officer

Inmate accused of beating Mahanoy State Prison Guard

Pennsylvania - An inmate serving a life sentence has been charged with assault in the severe beating last month of a Mahanoy State Prison guard.

Anthony Moten, 38, formerly of Philadelphia, attacked corrections officer Donald A. Malick, 39, at 6:45 a.m. Dec. 14, state police said. Malick still is undergoing treatments for injuries suffered in the assault, police said Friday.

Moten, currently at Frackville State Prison, was arraigned by District Judge Anthony Kilker on charges of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, assault by a life prisoner and assault by a prisoner.

Inmate charged for unprovoked attack on Jail Guard

(I hate these "unpredictable" bastards....Sergeant Sandvig)

January 25, 2011
Sheboyganpress.com

A 17-year-old jail inmate was charged today for an unprovoked attack on a female guard that caused a concussion.

Monsee Yang attacked Correctional Officer Jillian Schema as she made her rounds in an inmate pod about 2 p.m. Sunday, a criminal complaint said. Yang could face up to nine years in prison on counts of felony battery by prisoners and misdemeanor bail jumping.

According to the complaint:

Schema, who has been a correctional officer for four years, said Yang approached her as soon as she entered the pod. He asked to be moved to a different pod, then immediately struck her in the face.

Surveillance video showed Yang punched Schema in the left side of the head, knocking her to the ground. Schema suffered a concussion, cuts to her upper and lower lips, a bloody nose and a bruised cheek.

After the punch, inmate Phillip Beaumont ran over from a nearby table and tackled Yang to the ground. Beaumont, 53, later noted to investigators that Schema is one of the nicer correctional officers.

The complaint said Yang made several previous requests to be moved out of his pod. He refused to speak to investigators about the attack on Schema.

Yang had been jailed since Nov. 17 on a probation hold and pending charges of property damage, disorderly conduct and resisting an officer. He was on probation from a felony car theft case last year, in which the judge sentenced him to two years probation but no jail time.

Yang was also charged last year for participating in a gang-related attack that sent a 17-year-old boy to the hospital, but that charge was dropped and read-in for consideration in the car theft case. Yang has also been arrested for attempting to punch a rival gang member during an altercation in a Sheboygan North High School hallway.

Cops: Inmate injures 3 Corrections Officers

January 26, 2011
Cincinnatti.com
Eileen Kelly

Within 50 minutes of when Charles Williams, 22, was booked into the Hamilton County Jail early Tuesday, he injured three corrections officers - pulling one down a flight of stairs, punching another, and lashing out at a third while being restrained, officials with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said.

Police caught up with Williams, of Windsor Ave. in Walnut Hills, late Monday and booked him into the Hamilton County Justice Center at 12:10 a.m. Tuesday on open warrant charges including vandalism, firearm violations, failure to comply and several traffic violations.

Now Williams is facing serious charges: felonious assault on a police officer and assault on a police officer.

Officials said from the moment Williams came into the justice center, he was trouble.

Lt. Robert Edwards injured his head, right shoulder, arm and wrist as well as his left shin when he was pulled down a flight of stairs. Corrections Officer Todd Rizzo sustained injuries to his right hand, wrist and arm after Williams allegedly punched him, said Steve Barnett a spokesman for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.

A third officer injured his knee while trying to get Williams in a restraint chair.

Williams was not injured, Barnett said.

The corrections officers were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital for their injuries.

Deputies were prepared for Williams on Wednesday when six of them stood sentry as a handcuffed Williams was led into a courtroom at the Hamilton County Justice Center to face the new assault charges.

Williams' lawyer, Carl Lewis suggested that his client has mental health issues and was in need of help.

Judge Fanon A. Rucker set Williams' bond at $215,000.

Prisoner Serving Life Sentence Gets 157 Years For Slashing Guard

February 4, 2011
CBSLosAngeles

RIVERSIDE (AP) — A gang member already serving a life sentence has been given 157 years to life for slashing a guard’s neck at a Riverside jail.

Twenty-eight-year-old Jose Ageo Amaya was sentenced Friday. He was convicted last fall of attempted murder and other crimes.

Prosecutors say that in 2007, Amaya refused to get into a cell at the Robert Presley Detention Center, pulled a handmade “shank” knife from his pocket and slashed a guard.

Amaya was at the jail awaiting trial on charges that he stabbed a man three times in the back during a 2004 carjacking. He was convicted of attempted murder in that case and is serving a life sentence.

Police: Inmate assaults Officer in Somerset State Prison (Pennsylvania)

February 5, 2011
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Charges are expected to be filed against an inmate at the state prison in Somerset who is accused of assaulting a correctional officer this week in the medium-security prison for males, according to state police at Somerset.

Police said shortly after 1:20 p.m. Thursday, Correctional Officer Kevin Knott, 48, was assaulted by James Curtis Campbell, 31, of Chester, who is serving a life sentence at State Correctional Institution-Somerset.

Police said Knott, who suffered cuts and bruises on his face and head and a broken cheekbone, was treated in Somerset Hospital.

Charges of assault by a life prisoner, aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment and criminal mischief are expected to be filed with Somerset District Judge Arthur Cook, police said.

San Joaquin County Jail inmate attacks Officer

February 10, 2011
MorningJournal.com

GRAFTON — A 66-year-old inmate who attacked and injured two prison guards yesterday also sent another inmate to the hospital, according to Sgt. Richard Graber of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

“After the guards were assaulted there was an additional assault on an inmate by the same suspect, but it was unrelated to the assault on the guard,” Graber said.

The attacks happened at the Grafton Correctional Institute around 6:05 a.m. Wednesday.

Graber said the suspect managed to attack the inmate with the same weapon used in the assault on a guard and another guard who tried to intervene.

The inmate was treated and released from EMH Regional Medical Center in Elyria with facial injuries. Graber said the attack on the inmate was related to a past dispute.

The two guards were also taken to EMH. The first guard who was attacked was later taken to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland with non-life threatening injuries. The other guard was treated and released.

The suspect has not been identified because he has not yet been charged in the assaults, Graber said.

The guards and inmate have also not been identified.

February 15, 2011
CentralTexasNow.com

A Sergeant is recovering from a head injury after Jefferson County Deputies say he was attacked by an inmate last Friday.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office says that 30-year old Johnathan Boutte, of Beaumont, is the inmate accused of assaulting a sergeant in the Jefferson County Correctional Facility.  The Sergeant leaned into Boutte's cell to pick up a food tray, when Boutte hit the sergeant in the head.  The Sergeant was able to exit the cell and call for help.  The Sergeant was taken to the Medical Center of Southeast Texas with concussion-like symptoms, but was released later that night.

Officials tell 12 News HD that Boutte was originally jailed on a charge of Public Intoxication and is now facing an additional charge for Assault on a Public Servant.  Boutte's bond has been set at $15-thousand.

Routt County Jail inmate accused of assaulting Jailer

        Certainly not the Brightest               
         bulb.....Sergeant Sandvig 

February 11, 2011 SteamBoatToday.com

A Routt County Jail inmate is facing more than a DUI charge after a jailer said he hit him in the nose with a dinner plate.

Colorado State Patrol arrested Matthew Justin Jakeway, 30, of Denver, on Tuesday evening on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to an affidavit written by Routt County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ryan Adrian and filed with Routt County Combined Courts, Jakeway had several “aggressive episodes” while being held at the jail. During one of those episodes Wednesday morning, Jakeway broke the glass window in his cell door, Adrian wrote.

Adrian was in the jail Wed­­nesday at about noon and witnessed the reported assault on Deputy Jeff Olson. Olson was trying to collect Jakeway’s plastic lunch plate from the “slop shoot” in his cell door.

“As I was watching Deputy Olson leaning down at the slop shoot, I observed a plate come flying out of the slop shoot and hit Deputy Olson in the nose,” Adrian wrote in the affidavit.

Olson had a red mark on his nose but did not require medical attention.

In addition to driving under the influence of alcohol, Jakeway now is accused of criminal mischief and second-degree assault. Jakeway’s bail originally was set at $750. With the additional accusations, bail was set at $10,000. He is due to appear in court for a status hearing at 8:30 a.m. March 1.

 

County Jail inmate accused of kicking Guard in the face

MOUNT HOLLY — A Trenton man already serving time for a weapons offense has been accused of assaulting a Burlington County Jail corrections officer.

Rodney Day, 20, made a first appearance in Superior Court on Friday before Judge Michael Haas, who set his bail at $10,000.

Day is charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

According to court records, Day is accused of kicking the corrections officer in the head while he was attempting to break up a fight among inmates.

The officer did hurt his face, but the extent of his injury was not available.

February 21, 2011
CentralTexasNow.com

Deputy injured at York County Prison

A county sheriff's deputy suffered injuries Tuesday when a York County Prison inmate assaulted him, Sheriff Richard Keuerleber said.

Deputy Rodney Dombrowski suffered a groin pull, a knee injury and an abrasion to his hand while subduing Miguel Angel Ascencio-Ayala, according to charging documents.

Ascencio-Ayala, 33, is charged with aggravated assault and assault by a prisoner.

According to Keuerleber, deputies were picking up inmates at the prison to transport them to county court hearings; Ascencio-Ayala was scheduled to appear before a county judge on a probation violation.

But he balked when Dombrowski asked to go through his papers and check his cane.

"We always go through (inmates') property to make sure there's no contraband," he said. "He didn't want to comply with the process. ... He raised his cane and a scuffle ensued."

Dombrowski and others wrestled Ascencio-Ayala to the ground and subdued him, the affidavit states.

Dombrowski is off duty for now due to the injuries, the sheriff said.

Man charged with assaulting Jail Officer

Misdemeanor to Felony charge...Got to love this little a$$hole!              Sergeant Sandvig

February 24, 2011
Billings Gazette

A man being held in the County Jail on misdemeanor charges of obstructing and driving without insurance now faces a much more serious charge in District Court.

Craig Aaron Rasmussen, 35, was charged Thursday with felony assault on a peace officer, accused of an attack on a jail officer. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment before Judge Mary Jane Knisely.

The felony assault charge carries a prison term of two to 10 years. Knisely set Rasmussen's bond at $10,000.

According to court records, Rasmussen was in the Yellowstone County jail on Feb. 14 when he complained to the officer about his bonds in Billings Municipal Court. The officer was trying to explain the procedure to Rasmussen when the inmate became agitated.

The officer said Rasmussen threw his hands in the air and cursed at him. The officer responded by ordering Rasmussen to place his hands behind his back so he could be handcuffed.

A struggle between the two men broke out, and Rasmussen is accused of hitting and scratching the officer in the face. Other officers help subdue Rasmussen.

A jail nurse cleaned the officer's scratch wounds. The officer also went to a Billings hospital to receive a tetanus shot, court records state.

Burlington County Jail prisoner accused of assaulting Guard

MOUNT HOLLY — A Camden man incarcerated in the Burlington County Jail was accused of assaulting a Corrections Officer.

Frederick Thomas, 44, made a first appearance in Superior Court on Friday before Judge James Palmer, who set his bail at $5,000.

Thomas became combative Tuesday and grabbed one of the Corrections Officers in the Jail while he was being escorted from the cafeteria to his cell, according to police.

According to court records, he has been convicted of 14 prior crimes including assault, burglary, criminal trespassing and several narcotics offenses.

Information about the charge for which he is incarcerated was not available Friday.

Thomas is scheduled to be released from the county jail on Dec. 31, according to the Burlington County Corrections Department.

Correctional Officer stabbed at State Penitentiary

ksandvig@jailsergeant.com

March 8, 2011
Associated Press

State prisons spokesman Kevin Ingram in Las Vegas told The Associated Press the attack occurred after noon Monday in a kitchen pantry.

Ingram says the facility's culinary manager, Steve Roundy, suffered "a severe head injury" when he was hit in the head with a metal kettle paddle.

Roundy was flown by a medical helicopter to University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City. Ingram says he is in critical condition.

The inmate's name was not immediately released.

Ingram says the inmate was "restrained" when other officers arrived. He did not know if the inmate was injured.

Ingram says the state-run prison is in lockdown.

March 07, 2011
KELLY METZ
MorningJournal.com

LORAIN — An Amherst man allegedly threatened officers, spit in two officers’ faces and bit an officer’s hand while in a detox cell at the Lorain Police Department on Friday, according to a Lorain police report.

Jan Plato, 39, was taken to the detox cell in Lorain on Thursday night for disorderly conduct and disorderly conduct by intoxication, according to the report.

Lorain police Officer Richard Hall, who filed the report, noted Plato is very violent when intoxicated and has a record including arrests for assaults, menacing, robbery intimidation and disorderly conduct.

At around 9:30 a.m. Friday, when officers came to escort Plato to Lorain Municipal Court, Plato became agitated and upset, the report stated.

Plato began pounding on the glass window and kicking the cell door, the report stated. Officers warned Plato he would be restrained in a chair if he did not settle down. Plato then began complaining that the Nord Center refuses to treat him, and he threatened to kill everyone at the Nord Center, Hall wrote.

Plato was eventually restrained in a chair and officers observed him slip out of the restraint via a TV monitor.

“Plato began rocking in his chair causing the chair to move around in the booking room and he continued screaming, singing songs and talking to himself,” Hall wrote.

Plato, with an arm free from the restraints, continued to act violently toward officers, Hall wrote.

“Plato was punching, grabbing and thrashing about so violently we were unable to secure his arm. It was during this time that I bent over in front of Plato and he spit in my face with a mist of saliva,” Hall wrote. “I walked out of the room to wash off and I came back with a towel to cover Plato’s face. Plato continued resisting and I could feel pressure on my hand from Plato biting down on the towel in an attempt to bite me.”

When Hall’s hand slipped from the towel, Plato allegedly spit in another officer’s face, according to the report.

During the entire incident, Plato also threatened Hall, the report stated.

“Plato made several threats including that he was going to sexually assault me, bring an assault rifle and hand grenades to the Lorain police station and Nord Center to kill everyone,” Hall wrote. “Plato also stated that when he gets out of jail he was going to hire a ‘soldier’ to kill me and he was going to be in church when it is done. Plato made several comments after each threat such as, ‘You can bet on that,’ to ensure that I understood he was not making idle threats.”

Plato was charged with aggravated menacing, assault on a police officer, harassment by an inmate and illegal transmission of bodily fluids, the report stated.

Lifer guilty of assault on Fayette County Guard

March 12, 2011
Mary Pickels
pittsburghlive.com

A Fayette County Corrections Officer expressed disappointment Friday after a jury found an inmate who assaulted him not guilty of aggravated assault.

Dwayne Hunt, 33, was convicted of simple assault, a less serious offense, following a two-day trial before Judge Nancy Vernon.

Hunt was accused of attacking officer Brent Roberts, 32, during a search of Hunt's cell at SCI-Fayette in Luzerne on Jan. 12, 2010.

Roberts said he is still recuperating from his injuries, which included a concussion. He said he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Roberts said his physician has not discharged him to return to work, but he plans to return to his position.

Hunt has served 13 years of a life sentence for a murder in Berks County, but Roberts said jurors were not given that information.

Before the attack, Roberts had searched Hunt's cell and found a piece of metal.

In a closing statement, Assistant Public Defender Michael Garofalo said that Hunt admitted to the brawl after "kind of a chest bump" between the two men.

Assistant District Attorney Linda Cordaro said Hunt simply did not want Roberts to search his cell.

"You cannot let the tail wag the dog. You cannot reverse the hierarchy in a maximum-security facility," she told jurors. "Do you think small pieces of metal in a prison cell can be a safety issue? You bet they can be."

Hunt started to punch the officer, she told jurors. "He goes at him like a wild animal, even when Officer Roberts is on his back," Cordaro said.

Roberts said he had turned to leave Hunt's cell when he was struck.

"It makes it harder on the other officers," he said of the verdict. "Jurors don't understand what we do for a living."

The verdict makes it appear as if inmates' actions have "no consequences," he added.

Hunt, who is being held in the state prison in Greene County, will be sentenced April 28 by Vernon.

Pa. Corrections Officers Attacked by Inmate

At least two guards from State Correctional Institution at Dallas were sent to the hospital Monday morning after an inmate stabbed one of them in the neck with a pen, according to state police and prison officials.

Superintendent Jerry Walsh reported the inmate, who was not named, assaulted the guard from behind at about 8:50 a.m., according to prison spokeswoman Robin Luca. Five additional officers responded to assist, and it was not immediately clear how many of those were injured while restraining the inmate, Luca said.

The injured guards were taken to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. The guard who had been stabbed was released from the hospital by the afternoon, according to a prison union official.

"I know we had an officer stabbed in the neck by a lifer inmate and a couple of other guys were banged up as well," said Roy Pinto, president of the Pennsylvania State Correction Officers Association, who had been informed about the incident.

State police at Wyoming were notified and are investigating and SCI-Dallas security staff are also investigating the assault, Luca said. State police said it was not clear what charges would be brought against the inmate until the investigation concluded.

The assault highlights a concern that financial cutbacks and reduced staffing levels at prisons across the commonwealth are making assaults more frequent, Pinto said.

"The officers that are there have to do double duty and they are spread a little more thinly and that leads to an inmate feeling like they can have the upper hand, and leads to them feeling like they can do an assault without as many repercussions," he said.

In December, round-the-clock staffing at seven security posts along the perimeter of the prison was cut to one tower 24 hours a day. Other towers are manned at limited periods, such as when inmates have yard time.

Department of Corrections officials said the move will save $1 million per year and won't compromise safety due to increased fencing, razor wire, motion detectors and video surveillance.

Luca reported this is the first major assault by an inmate on an officer in 2011. There were six in 2010, seven in 2009 and none in 2008. A major assault is "when any type of treatment from an outside hospital is needed," she said.

The criteria for assault should be the same inside and outside prison walls, Pinto said, and the union is pushing for a more uniform reporting system. By his estimates, the 40 to 50 prison assaults reported to the Department of Corrections would double if all incidences were reported.

"There are definitely different degrees of assault, but assault is defined in the statute, in the law, and that, to me, is how it should be," he said.

Camden convict guilty of biting skin off guard's chin

March 17, 2011
By JAN RANSOM
Philadelphia Daily News

A Camden County Jail inmate was convicted Thursday of biting off an inch of skin from a corrections officer's chin in 2008.

Bernard Jenkins, 26, of Camden was found guilty of aggravated assault, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and subjecting a law enforcement officer to bodily fluids. Jenkins faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for aggravated assault and a consecutive 18 months for the latter charge.

Officers entered Jenkins' cell on June 27, 2008 to remove his shoes after he was screaming, kicking and banging the cell door. Jenkins tried to punch one of the officers, a 12-year veteran and bit him near his chin, tearing-off an inch of skin which he then spat out.

The officer needed 18 stitches and now has a permanent scar. Jenkins was transferred to a state prison after the incident and faces charges in unrelated incidents in Camden County.

March 24, 2011
insidenova.com

A Corrections Officer at the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center was assaulted March 17.

An inmate at the center, located on 9340 Lee Ave., in Manassas, reportedly hit the 30-year-old officer in the face before 4 p.m., Prince William police spokesman Jonathan Perok said.

Other prisoners at the facility helped the officer get the suspect in to custody, Perok said.

Duane Jason Middleton, 29, of Dale City was charged with malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer.  He is serving jail time on a robbery conviction, according to court records.

He was held without bond, and will face a court hearing April 11.

The officer went to a nearby hospital for treatment, police said.

Federal inmate sentenced for assaulting Guard

March 24, 2011
PANews.com

BEAUMONT — A 40-year-old federal prison inmate has been sentenced for assaulting a prison guard in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.

Damon Emanuel Elliott, of Laurel Maryland, was found guilty by a jury on Aug. 4 of assaulting a Bureau of Prisons officer and possessing a prohibited object and was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield.

According to information presented in court, on Dec. 31, 2007, Elliott, an inmate housed in the Federal Bureau of Prison's Beaumont facility, assaulted two federal prison guards.  Video evidence at Elliott's two-day trial showed the two officers attempting to transfer Elliott from one cell block to another.  Elliott resisted the transfer and became violent, assaulting and injuring both officers.  Elliott was indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 20, 2008. 

 Elliott's sentence of 150 months will run consecutive to his current term of imprisonment.  Elliott was convicted of attempted aggravated sexual assault on Nov. 20, 1997 in the District of Maryland.  He was sentenced to 189 months in federal prison with a projected release date of May 17, 2012.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Prisons and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Peacock.

Corrections Officers attacked at Wende

March 25, 2011
BuffaloNews.com

An inmate at Wende Correctional Facility attacked two Corrections Officers Wednesday night before he could be subdued, a union official said.

Phillip Moreno, 35, who is serving eight to 10 years for weapon and drug possession, was being frisked shortly before 6:30 p. m. when he allegedly put the officer in a headlock and assaulted him in the head and face.

Another officer came to assist, and Moreno allegedly turned on him as well, breaking the officer’s nose in two places. Other officers came to their assistance and subdued the inmate. The officer who was put in a headlock was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Later Wednesday night, another inmate attacked a guard, and Thursday morning, there was another attack after which officers found a makeshift weapon, the union official said.

Assault leads to more cameras at Jail

March 28, 2011
Quad City Times

Additional cameras in Scott County Jail housing units will be installed in response to an inmate’s assault on a correctional officer that wasn’t completely caught on tape.

The additional cameras came at the recommendation of the Iowa Division of Labor Services after an inspection last year shortly after the assault. In the Aug. 9, 2010, incident, inmate Casey Funtae Westerfield hit correctional officer Brian Clark with a chair after being disciplined.

Clark suffered a cut to his head and missed one day of work because of the injury. He performed light duty in the jail for 10 days before returning to full duty. Westerfield, 23, pleaded guilty to the assault in November and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Part of the assault occurred near the correctional officer’s work station in the housing unit but wasn’t caught on a surveillance camera. Cameras sweep the entire housing unit but weren’t focused on the work station at the time of the incident.

“There is a blind spot,” Sheriff Dennis Conard said. “When we reviewed the tape, the assault went off the tape in the area that wasn’t observed.

“We want to be able to observe the entire housing area.”

The cameras will be aimed directly on correctional officers’ work stations.

Teamsters Local 238 sought the inspection after the incident, citing a rash of assaults since the jail opened in December 2007. In a report returned in October, the Division of Labor Services made three recommendations regarding surveillance cameras, furniture and blood-borne pathogens.

On Thursday, the Scott County Board of Supervisors will act on the recommendation for surveillance cameras and will consider a bid of $16,239 for the equipment. County employees and the jail security system contractor will install cameras, said Dave Donovan, director of facility and support services.

Correctional officers have received in-service training for how to deal with blood-borne pathogens and other bodily fluids. Inmates now view a video on the same topic when they enter the jail.

The county is resisting the third recommendation to secure all furniture in the housing units because it goes against the jail’s direct supervision philosophy allowing more privileges as rules are followed, Conard said. In some housing units, all furniture is secured, but not in all. A hearing on the recommendation is scheduled for Aug. 4.

Franklin County Jail Officer hurt during inmate restraint

4 County Jailers sprayed with urine

Inmate facing charges of assault with body waste.

March 30, 2011
MARY KATE MALONE
wsbt.com

SOUTH BEND — Four St. Joseph County Jail deputies were assaulted by an inmate Monday afternoon who allegedly sprayed them with his urine.

Carl Ledford, a 32-year-old "extreme caution" inmate, refused to comply with deputies who tried to move him to a new cell, according to a report from the incident.

After ignoring verbal commands, he allegedly stuck his hand out of his cell’s food slot and sprayed four deputies with his urine from a spray bottle.

Four deputies were allegedly hit -- three of them in the face.

After his bottle was empty, Ledford allegedly returned to his cell toilet for a refill.

He struck two of the deputies a second time before back-up workers entered his cell and used a Taser on him, according to the report.

Ledford was eventually handcuffed, taken to a shower to decontaminate himself, and placed in a restraint chair for his safety and the safety of the jail, according to a jail report on the incident.

Ledford is now facing one count of battery by body waste, a class D felony.

He was convicted in 1999 on a federal bank robbery charge, according to federal prison records. In October, he was caught with marijuana in his system while on supervised release, and was sentenced to six-months in the county jail, records showed.

April 1, 2011
kltv.com

LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) - An Angelina County jailer was hospitalized Thursday night after an inmate stabbed him.

Gary Amoe is listed in stable condition at Memorial Health System of East Texas in Lufkin.

According to Chief Jim Casper, Amoe and another jailer, Mark Thompson, went to check on an inmate who was acting erratic. The inmate, whose name has not yet been released, attempted to stab Thompson with a shank (a homemade knife), but Thompson deflected the attempt. The inmate then stabbed Amoe in the side of the abdomen.

Casper said the stabbing took place sometime after 11 p.m.

Amoe is being held in the hospital for observation.

2 Franklin County Jail Corrections Officers wounded in 2 days

April 1, 2011
Jim Hook
publicopiniononline.com

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Two Corrections Officers were injured in two days at the Franklin County Jail in separate incidents involving inmates.

A male Corrections Officer was injured Tuesday and taken to a hospital where he is recovering, according to county officials. County Commissioner David S. Keller said he expects the officer to fully recover.

Inmate Punches Wisconsin Corrections Officer

April 1, 2011
wisn.com

MILWAUKEE --

A Milwaukee County Sheriff?s Office Corrections Officer was punched in the face by an inmate at the County Correctional Facility-Central late Thursday night, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The officer suffered a concussion, fractured sinus and facial lacerations.

"Some creep injured an officer in a cowardly unprovoked attack," Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke said in a news release. "Acts of cowardice are how criminals behave."

The inmate was subdued and was put into solitary detention.

The Sheriff's Office said it will seek criminal charges against the inmate.

Inmate Sentenced To 4-1/2 Years For Beating Correction Officer

An inmate who helped beat a correction officer, giving him a severe concussion, was sentenced to 4-1/2 years in prison Friday in Superior Court in Rockville.

Jordan Hinton, 22, pleaded guilty to assault on a public safety officer before Judge Terence Sullivan.

The attack was on Sept. 18, 2009, said Matthew Gedansky, Tolland state's attorney. On that day, Hinton "struck him with his hands and feet," he said. Hinton and another inmate continued their assault even as the officer fell to the floor, he said.

The officer suffered from a severe concussion and a broken tooth but has been able to return to work, Gedansky said.

Mental health issues cited; Syme sentenced to additional two years

April 2, 2011
Alex Bridges
NVDaily.com

WINCHESTER -- An inmate with mental health issues must serve another two years for assaulting Jail Officers on three occasions earlier this year.

Mark Adam Syme, 19, of Winchester, pleaded guilty in Frederick County Circuit Court on Friday to committing four counts of assault and battery of a law enforcement officer and two counts of possession of a deadly weapon by an inmate at the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center.

An agreement reached between the commonwealth and Syme's attorney, Christopher Collins, called for the defendant to enter the guilty pleas and receive a specific sentence. Judge Dennis L. Hupp accepted the agreement and sentenced Syme according to its terms.

The court canceled a jury trial set for Thursday in anticipation of Syme entering the guilty pleas.

Specifically, Syme received two-year terms for each of two counts of assault and battery, and three years for each of the other two counts of the same charge. Hupp suspended all but six months of each term, reflecting the mandatory minimum sentence imposed for the offenses. The judge sentenced Syme to three years, all time suspended, for each of the two counts of possession of a deadly weapon by an inmate.

Hupp ordered the terms to run consecutively and that Syme serve five years of supervised probation upon his release. The judge also ordered Syme to take any medication prescribed by a physician as an additional condition of supervised release.

Hupp dismissed Syme's remaining charge of assault and battery of a jail officer per the agreement.

Commonwealth's Attorney Glenn Williamson said Syme, while incarcerated at the jail Jan. 16, assaulted an officer who went to conduct a search of the inmate's cell.

"[Syme] said the officer was invading his space," Williamson said.

Other officers arrived and at some point Syme swung around and struck one of the jailers in the face, according to the prosecutor. Officers eventually subdued Syme. The incident resulted in the filing of two charges of assault and battery against Syme.

Williamson said jail workers went through Syme's clothes on Jan. 30 and found a shampoo bottle inside a sock tied at the open end. This could have been used to strike a jail officer, Williamson said.

Syme threw a cup of water through the food slot at an officer who came to the inmate's cell on Feb. 3, according to Williamson. The next day Syme threw a cup of urine at another jailer, also through the food slot, Williamson said.

The second possession of a deadly weapon charge came as a result of jail officers discovering a toothbrush with a sharpened handle which Williamson noted could be used to hurt someone.

None of the assault victims suffered injury in the separate incidents, officials have said.
Syme, who served 10 days in jail for contempt as a result of a courtroom outburst involving his attorney, appeared calmer for the hearing Friday. Hupp asked Syme if he was satisfied with Collins' services and the defendant said yes.

When asked whether he was on medication, Syme indicated he was on four different prescriptions. The defendant's mental health illnesses did not rise to the level at which competency becomes an issue, Collins said.

Syme's mother, Heather Orum, became emotional as Hupp asked questions and then sentenced the defendant. After sentencing, Hupp and the sheriff's deputies allowed Orum to go with her son to see and talk to him, per Collins' request. The attorney said she has not been allowed to see her son since the jail put the inmate in maximum security.

Syme is charged in Winchester Circuit Court with possession of cocaine. A jury trial in the case is set for April 22.

Inmate charged in attack on Jail Officer

April 4, 2011
The Seattle Times

A 32-year-old inmate has been charged with first-degree assault, accused of attacking a detention officer at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent in January.

Sean Laward Graham, of Seattle, is also facing four third-degree assault charges, accused of causing injuries to four other detention officers who came to the aid of Officer Gil Letrondo, who was allegedly sucker punched, knocked unconscious and repeatedly stomped by Graham on Jan. 11, according to charging papers filed in King County Superior Court last week. Graham was also charged with harassment for allegedly threatening to beat a female detention officer, charging papers say. He is to be arraigned April 11.

Graham was booked into the Regional Justice Center in July 2009 on investigation of first-degree robbery and was awaiting trial when the alleged attack occurred. Immediately afterward, he was transferred to the King County Jail's administrative-segregation unit, a jail spokesman told The Times in January.

He is being held on $500,000 bail for the first-degree-assault charge, plus $50,000 bail on the earlier robbery charge, jail records show.

Letrondo, who has not returned to work, was hospitalized for 2 ½ days and has "ongoing head, neck, back and body pain due to the assault," charging papers say. Doctors are also concerned about a blood clot in his head, the papers say.

The other officers suffered minor injuries as they fought to protect Letrondo and gain control of Graham, the papers say.

The night before the alleged attack on Letrondo, Graham is accused of threatening to beat and kill Letrondo because Letrondo had denied Graham a scheduled hour outside his cell, the papers say.

"The defendant has a long history of mental illness" and has been committed to Western State Hospital and Fairfax Hospital "at least five times since 2006," charging papers say.

Deputy Struck By Gwinnett Inmate

Deputy Not Seriously Injured

April 8, 2011
cbsatlanta.com

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- A Gwinnett County Jail inmate attacked a female deputy Friday in a housing unit.

Ernesteen Crawford, 51, was lined up with a group of other female inmates in the unit awaiting pill call when she began a loud verbal outburst.

When the deputy walked down to talk to her, Crawford hit the deputy in the face.

Crawford fought with the deputy briefly until help arrived.

Deputies had to use a Taser to subdue Crawford and she had to be placed in a restraint chair due to her violent behavior.

Crawford had been in the Gwinnett County Jail since January on felony probation violation charges.

Crawford is now being charged with felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer and is being housed in a maximum security unit for female inmates.

The deputy was not seriously injured.

April 8, 2011
Jim Tuttle
PublicOpinionOnline.com

A female inmate has been charged with assaulting a Corrections Officer at Franklin County Jail last week.

Sherry Nicole Ragin, 32, of 102 Buchanan St., Chambersburg, is charged with first-degree aggravated assault and second-degree aggravated assault in connection with the March 30 incident.

According to police, Ragin allegedly struck Corrections Officer Valerie Ann Costlow in the back of the head with the handcuffs on her wrists. The officer was treated at Chambersburg Hospital for a minor concussion.

Costlow told police she had opened the door of a day room at the jail, and Ragin raised her arms while coming at her through the doorway. When the officer turned to avoid a blow to the face, Ragin, who was cuffed in front of her body, allegedly hit Costlow.

A captain at the jail told police that he asked Ragin what had happened. Ragin allegedly replied that she had asked to use the phone, and Costlow "flipped her off."

The incident resulted in a change of procedure at the jail, County Administrator John Hart said. Hart and commissioners declined to discuss details of the change.

"It's going to be an improvement." Hart said. "Can it happen again? Yes."

"There's no fail-safe," Commissioner David S. Keller said. "Our primary concern is the safety of the public and corrections officers."

"And inmates," Commissioner Robert Thomas added.

Ragin declined to speak with investigators without consulting an attorney, according to police.

In that case, according to police, Ragin assaulted an emergency room nurse at Chambersburg Hospital on March 25. She had gone to the hospital complaining of abdominal pain.

The nurse, Laura Bittinger, was attempting to draw blood from Ragin's arm. After complaining that the nurse was "wiggling the needle," Ragin allegedly ripped it out of her arm and threw it on the floor.

When Bittinger bent down to pick up the needle, Ragin allegedly hit her in the face. The nurse then disposed of the needle and approached Ragin to put gauze on her bleeding arm.

"Ragin sat up in the bed and struck Bittinger in the face near her left eye," according to a police affidavit.

When Chambersburg Police spoke with Ragin, she allegedly said that she had struck the nurse because she had been wiggling the needle in her arm.

Ragin waived her preliminary hearing for the charge in the alleged hospital incident on Tuesday. A mandatory arraignment in that case is now scheduled for May 18. Her preliminary hearing on the latest charges is slated for Tuesday.

Prior incident

Franklin County officials are saying little about an incident at the Franklin County Jail a day before the alleged March 30 assault of a female corrections officer.

A male corrections officer was hospitalized after he tried to restrain an inmate March 29, according to county officials. He was released from the hospital before Monday.

The officer was trying to restrain an inmate and fell in a heap with others, according to County Administrator John Hart.

"It was an awkward fall," Hart said. "Everybody went down. The officer was injured. Procedures were followed. The response was correct."

County officials declined to name the officer or the nature of his injuries. No charges have been filed.

He was the first county corrections officer in recent memory to be hospitalized as a result of an incident at the county's jail, according to commissioners.

Officer beaten in escape attempt at New Beginnings

Officials: DYRS was warned on staffing problems

April 18, 2011
The Washington Times

WASHINGTON — A Corrections Officer was severely beaten during an escape at the District’s secure youth facility in an incident Sunday night that has shocked even veteran corrections officials, who say the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) failed to heed warnings that staffing levels were inadequate.

Family members of one of the youths believed to be involved say DYRS officials similarly failed to recognize signs that he was becoming increasingly troubled while being housed at the District’s $46 million, 60-bed youth detention facility, the New Beginnings Youth Development Center.

PHOENIX (Reuters) – An Arizona jail inmate who feared he would be killed by a Mexican drug cartel if were set free assaulted a detention officer in order to remain behind bars, authorities said on Tuesday.

Alexandro Guerrero, 26, was about to be released from Pinal County jail on April 17 when he repeatedly punched and kicked a detention officer, breaking his nose, Pinal County Sheriff's Office spokesman Tim Gaffney said.

After he was subdued, Guerrero told officers that he had sold drugs in Yuma, a town in western Arizona, for Mexico's powerful Zetas drug cartel, and feared release from the lock-up believing that the traffickers planned to kill him.

"At some point the cartel labeled him as a snitch because he was (providing) information to law enforcement, so they put out a hit on him to be killed," Gaffney told Reuters.

"He didn't want to be released, so he figured the best way to stay in custody was to punch one of our detention officers," he said.

Gaffney said Guerrero got his wish and is being held in jail on three counts of aggravated assault on a detention officer, on a $50,000 cash-only bond.

"It's a felony offense, so he's definitely looking at some prison time for it," he said.

The Zetas cartel was formed around a core of elite Mexican anti-drug commandos that went rogue several years ago. It is now one of the most brutal criminal gangs in Mexico.

The group is currently fighting an all-out war with the rival Gulf and Sinaloa cartels in Mexico's Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas states south of Texas, although it also has operations in other states in northern and central Mexico.

Sheriff: Inmate Attacked Corrections Officer

HAMILTON, Ohio -- A prisoner will face additional charges after authorities said he attacked a Butler County Corrections Officer.

Stewart also tried to throw Schueller off the second level of the building, Jones said.

Schueller called for assistance during the struggle, Jones said, and responding officers managed to subdue Stewart.

The corrections officer was treated and released for multiple non-life-threatening injuries, Jones said, and hopes to return to work soon.

Stewart, who was arrested March 12 on charges of drug possession and violation of a protection order, was charged with assault on an officer.

Jones also said Stewart will face additional "in-house" jail disciplinary actions for the attack, which the sheriff said was unprovoked.

Steven Nagy, an 18-year veteran with the jail in Elizabeth, was conducting a cell check when the inmate, lying in wait, attacked him, according to an account provided by the state Policemen's Benevolent Association.

Nagy, who was stabbed four times, was seriously injured, according to the PBA. He was taken to a hospital where he was listed in good condition, the union said.

County spokesman Sebastian D'Elia confirmed that Nagy was attacked but did not give a detailed account. He said the officer was stabbed in the hand and near the eye, but that his injuries were not life-threatening.

The PBA used the incident as a rallying cry against proposed reforms to public workers' health care.

"This weekend's attack just illustrates the sacrifices all correction officers make every day," PBA correction chairman Richie Brown said. "Politicians need to think twice before they apply a broad brush to all public workers."