Pepper spray incident escalates at RI prison, resulting in 6 officer injured

CRANSTON − Six correctional officers were injured in a conflict early Sunday morning at the Adult Correctional Institutions' John J. Moran Medium Security facility.

Accounts of the incident from the Department of Corrections and the correctional officers union differ somewhat. According to the Department of Corrections, an inmate assaulted two correctional officers after refusing to return to his cell.

"The officers used an oleoresin capsicum [pepper] spray to control the situation. When the spray residue landed on the floor, it created a slick surface, causing several other staff members to slip and fall," said a statement provided by department spokesman J.R. Ventura.

Richard Ferruccio, president of the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers, said two inmates assaulted and injured three officers when the officers tried to get them to return to their cells.

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Several other officers responded, and while one fell, two more were injured trying to settle the incident, Ferruccio said.

As of Monday, only two of the six injured officers had returned to work, he said.

"I assume the inmates will be criminally charged. I would hope they're going to be," he said.

The incident is still under investigation, according to Ventura.

Ferruccio said inmate behavior has gotten worse, with a dramatic increase in fights and assaults, since the department lightened punishments for disciplinary transgressions.

"We have seen a significant uptick in the amount of violence in our prison," Ferruccio said.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Six correctional officers hurt in prison incident