Inmate Injures Two Correction Officers During Attack

Two correction officers were injured when an inmate pulled one of the officers into his cell and punched him several times. 

The attack happened at Green Haven Correctional Facility on Sunday around 8:20 am. The inmate, Anthony Torres, who is serving  a 25-year sentence for manslaughter and attempted murder had just returned to his cell but failed to lock the cell gate.

An officer gave him several orders to close the gate to which Torres refused. The officer went to the inmate's cell to close the door. The inmate grabbed the officer with both hands and attempted to pull him into his cell.

The officer tried to push the inmate away but was unsuccessful. The inmate punched the officer several times about the body as he tried to pull him into the cell.

During the attack the officer activated his personal alarm and struck the inmate several times as the inmate pulled him into the cell.

The second officer responded to the cell and sprayed pepper spray in the inmate’s face to get him to let go of the officer’s shirt.

The inmate released his grip on the officer but continued to violently struggle with both officers when they attempted to put him in restraints. Two additional officers responded and put the inmate in body holds while the restraints were applied.

Inmate Torres, who was convicted in 2005 for Manslaughter and Attempted Murder was removed and placed in a special housing unit.

Torres  who faces disciplinary charges, stabbed his estranged wife to death and stabbed her boyfriend in Jamaica, Queens in 2004.

Both officers sustained minor injuries and were treated by facility medical staff.

Michael Mazzella, NYCOPBA  Vice President, Mid-Hudson Region said:

Sunday’s incident is a clear example of how providing our members with additional resources, like pepper spray, can help protect them as well as get violent inmates under control quickly. We are very lucky that none of our officers sustained serious injuries as it easily could have turned out that way if the officer did not deploy the pepper spray to thwart the attack. Currently, DOCCS has a pilot program to examine the use of pepper spray. It has proven effective and it should be utilized in all of our correctional facilities to minimize the violence