MORGANTON, N.C. -- A correctional officer at the Foothills Correctional Institution in Morganton was assaulted by an inmate on Saturday night, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety.
According to officials, the incident happened around 9:30 p.m. when the officer was assaulted by an inmate with a homemade weapon.
Monday, the inmate was identified as Jose Rios. Prisons Director Kenneth Lassiter made a statement about the assault:
“Rios has a history of assaultive and threatening behavior as evidenced by the crime that landed him in prison and the rules infractions he has been charged with since his incarceration. I appreciate the prompt response of the other prison staff who came to the officer’s aid and we are all hopeful the officer, who remains in stable condition, will be released from the hospital very soon. I am also grateful to the law enforcement that are investigating the assault and I want to see the inmate prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. As I and others have been stating, the inmates the prison system must now manage are increasingly more violent than in years past and it will take everyone from employees, to our law enforcement partners, as well as the Executive and Legislative branches to make our prisons safer.”
The officer suffered multiple wounds and was transported to an outside medical facility for treatment.
Local law enforcement is investigating the incident.
The inmate, who has not yet been identified, will be charged with assault.
