Department of Correction officer on Rikers Island stabbed multiple times, in stable condition
NEW YORK -- An investigation is underway following an attack on a Department of Correction on Rikers Island.
The incident happened at around 4:45 p.m. on Monday in the protective custody unit at the Anna M. Kross Center. Benny Boscio, the president of the correction officers union, said the officer was stabbed 15 times in the back of the head by an inmate.
The DOC said the officer was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition.
The suspect is identified as Dennis Fredricks. He was charged earlier this year for the 2021 fatal shooting of his pregnant girlfriend, CBS2's Dick Brennan reported.
"This was an unprovoked heinous and callous attack on one of our dedicated officers, who was simply doing their job. We will not tolerate any assaults on our members of service who show up to work each day to keep our jails safe. We are re-arresting the individual who committed this deplorable attack. We are praying for this officer to make a speedy recovery," DOC Commissioner Louis A. Molina said.
Boscio said in a statement the officer is conscious and undergoing tests. He also thanked Mayor Eric Adams and Molina for visiting the officer on Monday night.
Rikers has been at the center of a debate over whether the facility should be closed. Inmate advocates say 17 have died this year at the jail and staffing has been a persistent problem. The attack once again renewed the debate over how to separate inmates who have been violent.
"This heinous attack demonstrates exactly why the public advocate and City Council must immediately pull the bill to end punitive segregation before one of us gets killed," Boscio said.