One man is facing charges after assaulting a deputy at the Cayuga County Jail last month.
According to the sheriff’s office, the incident occurred on May 7 at approximately 9:15a. Deputy William Ruff was making his rounds when 39-year-old Harold Calkins, an inmate at the jail, sprayed him in his eyes with a liquid substance from a water bottle to distract him. Ruff then slashed and stabbed at him in the head and neck with makeshift weapons.
Requiring immediate medical attention, Deputy Ruff was taken to Auburn Hospital for treatment.
An immediate investigation was begun, and the case was sent to the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. As a result of the DA’s investigation, a grand jury indicted the Plainville, New York man on two felony counts of Assault in the Second Degree.
On June 10, he was arraigned before Judge Jon Budelmann and remanded to the custody of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision until his next court appearance.
“I would like to commend and thank Deputy Ruff and all of our Custody Division staff for the difficult and dangerous jobs they do behind our jail walls every day. Incidents like this have become increasingly common at both the local and state levels, highlighting the growing risks faced by those who work in our custody facilities. We owe Deputy Ruff—and everyone who performs this challenging job—an immense debt of gratitude. Their efforts are vital to maintaining public safety. To help the public better understand the dangers our staff encounter, I’ve included a video of the incident, photos of the makeshift weapons used, and an image showing one of the injuries inflicted. It’s important that people see the reality of what these professionals face far too often.” Sheriff Brian Schenck
Calkins was being held at the jail for violating his parole and criminal possession of stolen property at the time of the assault in May.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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