RIKERS —- An inmate at the Rikers Island jail complex slugged a correction officer in the face, breaking his jaw, officials said Monday.
The detainee, held on a murder charge, attacked the officer on Friday, Benny Boscio Jr., president of the union representing officers, said. The correction officer found contraband on the inmate and was taking him back to a housing area when he was attacked.
“He will need to undergo surgery and yet his assailant was simply transferred to another facility and remains in general population and has not been rearrested,” Boscio said. “This is the environment our officers must endure day in and day out, while we are labeled as being AWOL and scapegoated for the crisis Mayor de Blasio’s criminal negligence has caused.”
A DOC spokesperson said the agency would pursue rearrests as needed.
The mayor said Monday he planned to visit the jail facility at some point in the upcoming week. Boscio said de Blasio should call the correction officer and apologize to the officer first.
“Every day that he remains in office puts more of our brave officers’ lives in grave jeopardy,” Boscio said. “He cannot leave office soon enough.”
