NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A city correction officer suffered a concussion and a broken nose in an unprovoked attack at Rikers Island on Friday, the officer and union officials told 1010 WINS.
The correction officer, who didn't want to be named over fears of retribution by the inmate or other inmates, said he was attacked at the Otis Bantum Correctional Center around 5:30 p.m.
He said he opened a cell door to move the inmate to a different cell, but when he opened the door the inmate punched him in the head.
"We were planning to transfer one inmate to a new cell," the officer said. "At which time, once the cell door opened, the inmate violently and unprovoked punched me in my left eye and my nose and fractured my nose and gave me a concussion."
Three other officers rushed to help the officer and were also injured, according to Michael Skelly, a spokesman for the Correction Officers Benevolent Association.
One of the officers suffered a broken finger and the other two suffered sprains to their arm and wrist, respectively, Skelly said.
The inmate who attacked the officer is a member of the Bloods gang, according to Skelly, who said the inmate was being held on a "C" felony and that new charges will be lodged against him.
The officer who was attacked said the inmate will be put in punitive segregation, also known as "the box." That usually lasts 30 days before he'd be returned to the general jail population.
Last week there was a public hearing on a city proposal to ban punitive segregation. During the hearing, COBA President Benny Boscio Jr. testified that assaults on officers by inmates are up 15% and that stabbings and slashings are up 16%.
The union said if punitive segregation is banned then the inmate would be put right back into the general population.
In a statement, city Department of Correction spokesperson Jason Kersten told 1010 WINS: "Any act of violence towards our officers, who work hard to keep our city safe is not tolerated. This individual will be rearrested."
