Inmate Bites Guard During Search for Contraband at Marcy Correctional: NYSCOPBA

A correctional officer had to be treated for possible exposure after being bitten by a inmate at Marcy Correctional Facility. The CO, another guard and sergeant all sustained injuries in a scuffle that ensued during a recent search for contraband, according to the NYSCOPBA - the union that represent state prison guards.

Officials say when a guard noticed an object inside the pants of an inmate and ordered a complete search, the incarcerated man began fighting with officers. They say he reached into his underway to grab what prison staff say was later determined to be a razor strapped to a pen - creating a knife like object. During the scuffle, NYSCOPBA says the inmate bit an officer's hand, resulting in a trip to the hospital for exposure.

The inmate is serving a 15-year sentence for an assault charge, convicted of shooting a man who he was trying to rob, union officials said.

At one point, the inmate even tried to swallow the contraband while continuing to fight with officer, according to NYSCOPBA.

A second officer and a sergeant who were assisting in attempting to restrain the inmate also suffered a few minor injuries in the incident.

"The stark reality is that medium security prisons like Marcy have become just as dangerous as maximum security facilities with the disciplinary system completely watered down. We have passed the half-way point of 2022 and assaults on staff continue to skyrocket towards record level with no relief in sight," said NYSCOPBA Central Region Vice President Bryan Hluska. "This is a direct result of the legislature passing ill-advised HALT Act. Until the legislators who supported [HALT ACT] recognize its failure and the need to repeal or alter it dramatically, the violence will continue."