MARCY — A corrections officer suffered a fractured elbow after chasing an inmate who was acting erratically in the gymnasium at Marcy State Correctional Facility on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

According to Bryan Hluska, New York State Corrections Officer Police Benevolent Association Central Region vice president, the erratic inmate caused the officer to fall to the walkway when catching the inmate and placing him in a body hold.

When the officer was assigned to the gymnasium, he noticed the inmate was acting erratically and yelling at other inmates. The officer ordered the inmate out into the lobby and told the inmate to place his hands on the wall. At first the inmate complied, but suddenly pushed himself off the wall and struck the officer in the chest with his elbow, Hluska said.

When the inmate ran out of the lobby onto the outside walkway, the officer chased the inmate and when he caught up to him, placed him in a body hold around the waist. The inmate continued to resist and was forced to the ground. While the ground and still extremely combative, Hluska said a second officer responded and administered OC spray to the inmate.  

Handcuffs were applied and the inmate became compliant. He was then escorted to the infirmary to be evaluated and was placed in a Special Housing Unit following the incident. 

The injured officer was transported to Rome Hospital for elbow, knee and wrist injuries. X-rays determined he suffered a fractured elbow.  

“Following a week-long set of rallies to call on the repeal of the HALT Act, we are here once again announcing another officer injured and who will be out of work for weeks as a result of another violent inmate,” Hluska said. “The stark reality is that HALT has only made our state prisons more dangerous and the statistics bare that truth.  Until the legislators who supported HALT recognize its failure and the need to repeal or alter it dramatically, the violence will continue and our members will continue to be injured and that is not acceptable.”