NEW YORK — Three correction officers and a correction captain were injured when an inmate attacked them inside a clinic at Rikers Island, officials said.
The attack happened on Sept. 5 at the Otis Bantum Correctional Center.
The Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association described the assault as unprovoked. One officer suffered a fractured nose, while the other staff members sustained bruises to their faces, COBA President Benny Boscio Jr. said.
All four were taken to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital and later released.
The New York City Department of Correction said the staff members were injured while bringing the situation under control.
“Our staff perform a difficult and honorable job to keep our city safe,” DOC Commissioner Stanley Richards said. “We will never tolerate any act of violence in our jails. We will support our members of service in their recovery and will pursue accountability on their behalf.”
Boscio accused the department of failing to impose meaningful consequences for violence committed inside city jails.
“These violent assaults on our officers continue unabated,” he said.
Boscio pointed to several Oct. 1 deadlines under the city’s federal remediation action plan, which requires DOC to submit security, staffing and accountability proposals to the court-appointed remediation manager.
The union called for people who attack correction officers to receive less out-of-cell time and be immediately transferred to enhanced supervision units. Boscio also urged prosecutors to pursue charges against the inmate responsible for the latest attack and seek a consecutive sentence.
Officials did not release the inmate’s identity or additional details about what led to the assault.
