Inmate Violently Assaulted, Tried To Stab Corrections Officer: Sheriff

ULSTER COUNTY, NY — An inmate compounded his own problems and could have seriously injured a guard, according to police.

The Ulster County Sheriff's Office said on Sunday that a 51-year-old man from Kingston, who is an inmate at the Ulster County Jail, was arrested and indicted after assaulting and attempting to stab a corrections officer in the jail.

The violent incident took place on August 20, around 8 a.m., when the 51-year-old left his cell and approached the officer's desk within a housing unit of the Ulster County Jail.

The man immediately began to destroy computers and other electronics on the desk used by corrections staff, police said.

He was then able to find a sharp piece of wood, approximately eleven inches in length, that had broken from the desk, and attempted to stab the housing unit officer with it multiple times, injuring the officer, officials said. The altercation between the inmate and the officer continued until a member of the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team (SERT) arrived and took control of the inmate.

The injured officer was taken to the Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley St. Mary's Avenue Campus.

On August 29, the Ulster County District Attorney's Office presented evidence to an Ulster County Grand Jury, and the man was indicted for felony first degree attempted assault, three counts of felony second degree assault and felony second degree criminal mischief.

On September 13, the 51-year-old was arraigned in Ulster County Court and was remanded back to the Ulster County Jail with a future court date scheduled.