I don’t have all the details and can only speak to what I know.

This past Saturday at KVSP in one of our EOP housing units there was an attempted murder of a CO. The EOP units were on a PSR (modified program) from a riot that occurred about two weeks ago. However in the PSR once the housing unit was searched, the inmates were allowed to come out for medication distribution (pill pass.)

The incident took place during the morning pill pass. One of the inmates used an inmate manufactured weapon and stabbed the CO in the head and facial area. The CO was taken to a trauma center and the last update that I know of, he’s in stable condition.

We have not had a severe attack on staff of this magnitude in several years. We lost a Brother from a serious battery by multiple inmates on our MSF before it went to non-designated by southerners.

Unfortunately this is part of the reality of working in any prison especially a level 4.

Correction/Update:

The incident occurred Friday morning not Saturday. The reason for the attempted murder is that the CO was doing his job enforcing rules. The inmate wanted the CO out the building and had a previous encounter a couple weeks ago not wanting to lock up. The CO gave him several opportunities to return to his cell which he refused. The CO activated his alarm for the inmate becoming resistive.

On Friday’s incident, the inmate came out for his meds which happened to be the line with the CO that he attacked. He took his meds, went around behind the other CO that was supervising the other pill line and attacked the CO from behind with the weapon. This inmate has a long history of attacking COs at other prisons and another attempted murder of a CO in 2020.

Some of the concerns are…

1. How did his partner not notice the inmate going behind him? That is a big NO NO for any inmate to walk behind staff.

2. Where was the control booth officer that also did not see the inmate walk behind the first officer to go attack the second officer?

We do have cameras and body cameras which will show what the control booth officer was doing as well as the officers partner before being attacked.