DOC: Corrections sergeant assaulted by inmate at Stillwater prison

Authorities say a corrections officer was taken to a hospital Thursday morning after being assaulted by an inmate at the Stillwater prison.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) says a corrections sergeant was doing a routine facility unit movement at around 8:15 a.m. when an inmate suddenly ran up to him and started hitting him in the face.

Other corrections officers quickly stepped in to stop the assault, and the sergeant was then taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment. The severity of his injuries wasn’t immediately clear.

“We will take every appropriate action to stop these senseless acts of violence against our staff,” DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell said in a statement. “The safety of all those in our facilities is our top priority. Sadly, even though it is a small number of inmates who engage in these acts of violence, these incidents also affect the far greater majority of incarcerated people who are committed to rehabilitation and transformation.”

DOC says its office of special investigations is looking into the assault and will forward its findings to the Washington County Attorney’s Office for possible charges against the inmate responsible.

That inmate has already been moved to the administrative control unit at the Oak Park Heights prison.

The sergeant is at least the seventh correctional officer injured in an attack at a Minnesota prison this week alone.

DOC says three officers were hurt Monday at the Stillwater prison when they tried to break up a fight among prisoners and three officers at the Oak Park Heights prison were assaulted by two inmates on Tuesday.

Those incidents are also being investigated for possible charges against the inmates responsible.

A sergeant was also assaulted at the Oak Park Heights prison back in January and required surgery.