Springfield, Vt., inmates attack officer, other prisoners in ‘attempted takeover’

SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — An inmate at the Southern State Correctional Facility attacked a guard and two others attacked a fellow prisoner Tuesday morning in what officials called an “attempted unit takeover,” according to a news release from the Vermont Department of Corrections.

The incident happened around 10:15 a.m. at the Springfield prison when one inmate, whom authorities didn’t name, used a blunt object to hit an officer as he stood at the officer’s podium, the release said. Meanwhile, two other inmates on the same unit, also unnamed, attacked a third prisoner, according to the release.

Corrections officers used pepper spray at the scene to stop the attacks and locked the remaining inmates in their cells. The release said officers “secured” those involved but didn’t say what punishment they face.

About 30 minutes after the attacks, two inmates on the unit barricaded themselves in their cells and didn’t respond to officers who tried to contact them. It wasn’t until officers deployed “a handheld diversionary device” into the cell that they were able to resolve the situation, according to the release.

The officer who was hit sustained minor injuries and was treated and released from a nearby hospital, according to the news release. The department is considering whether criminal charges should be filed.