One sergeant and ten officers needed to be treated at local hospitals for smoke inhalation and other injuries when an inmate started a fire inside his cell and staff had to enter the cell when the inmate refused to exit it at the maximum security correctional facility last week.
According to a release from the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, Incorporated, on October 16th, an officer responded to a cell fire with an inmate still inside the cell. The officer grabbed a fire extinguisher but was unable to put out the fire with the cell door closed. Additional staff arrived and the cell door was opened and six officers entered the cell to extinguish the fire and remove the inmate from the cell. With heavy smoke and low visibility, all the officers needed to exit the cell with the inmate still inside after being overcome by the heavy smoke.
Additional officers responded as the first group of officers reentered the cell and observed the inmate crawling out from underneath his bed towards the cell door. The officers placed the inmate in a body hold and pulled him from the cell. The inmate allegedly became combative with the officers and began to fight with them as they attempted to place handcuffs on them. The inmate was forced to the ground and still continued fighting, biting one officer on the hand. Officers were able to force his arms behind his back and apply handcuffs. Once in handcuffs, the inmate became compliant and was escorted from the cell block to the infirmary for evaluation.
Staff extinguished the fire inside the cell and ventilated the cell block for the safety of the other inmates and staff.
The sergeant and ten officers were treated by medical staff at the facility and were transported to Geneva General Hospital and Thompson Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. Six of the officers also sustained shoulder, knee, wrist, and hand injuries subduing the inmate.
The inmate, 34, is serving a one to three-year sentence after being convicted of Attempted Assault 2nd in Bronx County in 2023. He previously served two prison stints in 2015 and 2018 for
Attempted Robbery 3rd and Assault 2nd.
“This inmate at Five Points injured one supervisor and ten officers because of his actions. Smoke inhalation can be deadly and cause permanent lung damage. Nevertheless, the staff had no choice
but to enter the cell to protect the inmate and the other inmates on the cell block from the heavy smoke condition. They did an excellent job getting the inmate in restraints and extinguishing the fire quickly. It doesn’t always have to be a direct physical attack on staff to cause serious harm to them. The actions of this violent and uncontrollable inmate put all staff who responded to this incident in jeopardy and is just another example of how staff are under siege daily from inmates with no fear of repercussions for their actions and little to no support from our Governor and convict coddling legislators!”-stated Kenny Gold, NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President.
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