Sergeant, Three Officers Injured in One Fight
For Immediate Release
May 20, 2026
Malone , NY — Over a three-day period last week, staff at the medium security correctional facility responded to multiple inmate-on-inmate fights involving weapons, several injured inmates, and injuries to a sergeant and three officers.
Tuesday, May 12:
An officer turning off the lights in a dorm dayroom heard a commotion and observed an inmate grab a broom handle in the TV room and strike another inmate, shattering the broom handle. The two began exchanging punches. The officer deployed OC spray, which successfully stopped the fight. An investigation revealed two separate inmate fights in the dorm, with two inmates attacking others in each incident. All identified inmates face disciplinary charges.
Wednesday, May 13:
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Incident 1: An officer observed an inmate throw a chair at another inmate in his cube, striking him in the face. The injured inmate then charged at the officer, forcing him into the dorm’s main room. Despite several applications of OC spray, the aggressive inmate continued fighting. Additional staff arrived, and both inmates were restrained using body holds and handcuffs. The injured inmate was transported to an outside hospital and received 12 stitches to his chin. No staff were injured.
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Incident 2: Later in the day, an officer observed an inmate attacking another with a chair. When a second officer arrived, one inmate struck him in the chest. Staff response contained the fight, but one inmate sustained burns to the face from an unknown hot liquid thrown by a third inmate. The assaulted officer experienced rib pain was treated by facility medical staff and remained on duty.
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Incident 3: In another dorm, a sergeant and three officers were assaulted after responding to an inmate fight. Initially, staff found one inmate with facial injuries. During the investigation, multiple inmates became aggressive toward staff. One inmate struck an officer in the face, OC spray was utilized several times but was ineffective. The inmate was restrained in a body hold, but four other inmates advanced on the officers before additional staff arrived. Once under control, the primary assailant was handcuffed and later transferred to Upstate Correctional Facility. The sergeant and three officers sustained injuries to the neck, back, shoulder, eye, knee, and forehead. They were treated by medical staff at the facility and remained on duty.
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Incident 4: Another inmate was found with a laceration to his nose by an officer. The investigation determined it was caused by an unknown weapon wielded by another inmate who was not identified.
Thursday, May 14:
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Incident 1: An officer observed two inmates exchanging punches in a cube. One inmate struck the other multiple times with a chair, causing several lacerations. Staff arrived and issued orders to stop the fight, which the inmates complied with. The injured inmate was treated in the infirmary.
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Incident 2: Later, an officer observed a bleeding inmate in a wheelchair. The officer quickly identified the assailant and, during a pat frisk, recovered two bundles containing a green leafy substance and paper saturated with an unknown liquid. The suspected drugs were secured as evidence for testing.
“Staff did an excellent job quickly stopping seven inmate-on-inmate fights over a three-day period involving chairs and unknown cutting weapons. Amid the high number of incidents, four officers and one sergeant were injured. As violence continues to escalate across state facilities, the lack of effective disciplinary measures leaves our members’ safety at continued risk. With the HALT Act in place and the State Legislature failing to enact the HALT Committee’s recommended changes, this dangerous trend is only likely to continue.” – John Roberts, Northern Region Vice President
