The Citizen
AUBURN, N.Y. — A murderer serving a life sentence stabbed an officer outside a mess hall at Auburn Correctional Facility, according to the union representing New York state correction officers.
In a Friday news release, the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association said the officer was monitoring inmates leaving the mess hall after lunch on Sept. 19 when an inmate walked past him, doubled back suddenly and hit him in the stomach with a makeshift weapon.
The officer sprayed the inmate in the face with a chemical agent, NYSCOPBA said. He was escorted to a special housing unit, where a metal shank fell from his pants during a frisk. A further search of the area where the stabbing occurred produced a plastic ice pick-type weapon.
The officer suffered a small puncture wound to his stomach and was transported to Auburn Community Hospital, NYSCOPBA said. He has not yet returned to work.
The union said the 56-year-old inmate is serving a life sentence after being convicted in 2001 of murder, attempted murder and assault in Kings County. He had been on parole when he shot and killed a 16-year-old boy and a father of four in two separate incidents, and shot and wounded a New York City police officer as police closed in on him for the two slayings, NYSCOPBA said.
“This stabbing of an officer at Auburn is a perfect example of why the HALT Act needs to be amended immediately so the disciplinary system is stronger to deter vicious assaults like this,” NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President Kenny Gold said in the news release. “When you have an inmate who already killed two people and shot and wounded a police officer and is serving a life sentence with no ability for parole, there is nothing that a district attorney can do with additional charges that will deter it from happening again.
“Thankfully, this officer didn’t die, but someone will if the State Legislature doesn’t take the recommendations of the HALT Committee seriously and make the necessary changes to ensure the future safety for our members!”
The recommendations would make changes to HALT, which took effect three years ago.
© 2025 The Citizen, Auburn, N.Y.. Visit www.auburnpub.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
