Officials with the Delaware Department of Correction has confirmed that two of its officers were injured on Thursday.
Authorities said on Thursday, August 18, 2022, at approximately 7:30 p.m., 2 Correctional Officers assigned to the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC) were injured after being assaulted by an inmate with an improvised weapon.
Both Correctional Officers were transported to an area hospital for serious injuries sustained during the assault. One Correctional Officer was treated and released the same evening. The second Correctional Officer was hospitalized and subsequently released on Friday, August 19, 2022.
Original Story
The Delaware Department of Correction is investigating an assault on two correctional officers at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna, according to multiple sources familiar with the incident.
Sources tell FSU that two officers were doing their rounds in the C-Wing of the prison where they encountered a 22-year-old inmate. The inmate reportedly approached the officers and placed a tablet on a table. As one of the officers goes to grab the tablet the inmate allegedly begins striking the officer with a “lock in a sock” (a padlock in a sock) weapon repeatedly.
The second officer reportedly then grabs the inmate and pins him against the wall as the wounded officer backs off. After regaining his composure the first officer gets back into the fight and comes to the assistance of his partner, who now fighting the inmate on the ground. The first officer pepper sprays the inmate twice before backup shows up and placed the inmate in cuffs.
We’re told that the first officer was bleeding from the head and was transported to Kent General Hospital for treatment. No word on the second officer’s injuries.
The inmate is reportedly facing multiple charges stemming from the incident.
An email to the Department of Corrections Friday morning went unanswered.