By Brandon Ward
The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN, Miss. — A correctional officer was taken to a local hospital after being assaulted by an inmate early Sunday Morning at the Lauderdale County Correctional Facility.
Lauderdale County Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun said at 4:30 a.m. several inmates escaped from their cells. Two correctional officers who went into the pod instructed the inmates to return to their cells.
“A pod is a big room that contains the cells,” Calhoun said. “There are eight pods in the facility. When the inmates broke out of the cell, they did not break out of the pod.”
Calhoun said several inmates who were out of their cells were making their way back to their cells when one of the inmates assaulted one of the correctional officers.
“During the assault a canister containing pepper balls, balls that go into the weapons at the prison, busted and spread across the floor,” Calhoun said. “Additional staff and our SWAT team were called to come in and take the inmates out of the pod. Without incident we moved the inmates into different areas, searched them thoroughly, and retrieved all of the pepper balls.”
The officer who was assaulted was treated at a local hospital and released.
Calhoun said charges are pending and the case is still under investigation. The identity of the inmate alleged to have assaulted the officer has not yet been released.