Rikers Island inmates are filmed punching, kicking and stomping on guards in violent compilation video as staff say work is 'unbearable' and Bill de Blasio is blasted for breaking promise to close infamous jail
A series of videos from Rikers Island captured violent scenes of inmates attacking prison guards - including one incident where one officer could not stand up after being brutally kicked and stomped on.
Violence among the inmates has increased over the past year as 'broken bones, stitches, and stabbings' have been reported by the officers, according to Fox News.
'We're working 25-plus hours straight, no meal breaks, the conditions of having gang members in the same housing areas – gang affiliated housing – we're being assaulted with impunity,' Correction Officers' Benevolent Association President Benny Boscio told the network.
Boscio also added that there has been a 23% increase in inmates with violent felony charges.
Surveillance footage from Rikers Island captured the violent nature of the inmates as guards were seen being brutally attacked in a series of videos
The New York jail complex has seen a 23% increase in inmates with violent felony charges
Correction Officers' Benevolent Association President Benny Boscio reported the unbearable working conditions at Rikers Island relating to staff shortages and the rise in inmate crime
The COVID-19 pandemic has also played a factor in the rise of inmates and the decline of working officers.
Due to this, the working environment at Rikers Island has been considered 'unbearable' as several staff members have left because of the inmates' behavior.
A compilation of surveillance footage clips obtained by Fox News has captured some of the attacks inmates have imposed on the officers in the New York prison.
The first video showed an inmate walking on the opposite side of a prison guard.
When the prison guard stopped, the inmate then launched himself at the guard as he began to punch him.
The guard is then seen tackling him to the ground at the end of the hallway.
The second video shows a similar hallway with a guard standing outside a row of cells.
One inmate leaves his cell and then jumps the guard but this time with the guard running the other way.
Another guard is seen running from the opposite end of the hallway as the inmate and a gang of others slowly approach.
The third video depicts two officers holding down an inmate with his arms tied behind his back.
Another guard is seen in back as he keeps watch of the situation.
Then out of nowhere, an inmate comes running from the left side and pushes into one of the guards.
The guard from the back takes control of the situation as he begins spraying an unidentified liquid at the inmate as he runs away.
The guard is seen telling the others to keep watch as he continues to spray the area, possibly as a warning to the other inmates.
One of the videos revealed an officer being kicked and stomped on by a gang of inmates and was seen barely being able to walk after the attack
The fourth and final captures the attack of an officer by multiple inmates.
The officer is first seen standing behind a table and chair as the inmates then rush in to punch and push him to the ground.
Each of the inmates seem to take turns throwing punches at the guard, with one jumping on the table he was sitting at and violently kicking him back to the ground.
After they leave, the officer attempts to get up but falls over, clearly battered and traumatized by the incident. He then manages to pull himself up and leaves the room.
The last bit shows the officer talking to a female one as he seems to be describing what had happened.
The resources available to the staff at Rikers Island have been slim as it remains understaffed, leaving the same officers overworked and continuously left with picking up the inmate's mess.
Federal monitor Steve Martin filed a letter to court on August 24 about the violence at Rikers Island and how it has worsened over previous years, according to The New York Times.
Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi has said that he plans to improve the working conditions at Riker's Island by hiring more officers and maintaining the safety of current employees.
'We have been taking extensive measures to encourage staff to return to work, to relieve those who have been heroically working extra shifts to compensate, and to make this an environment where any parent would feel like their own son or daughter was safe working or living here,' Schiraldi said in a statement to Fox News.
New York Mayor Bill De Blasio has been criticized due to the significant rise in New York crime over the past year
New York Mayor Bill De Blasio has been criticized for his lack of support during these events as crime has risen in the state over the past year.
Rikers Island was agreed to be closed in 2019, as pushed by de Blasio, and is now set for a closure date in 2027.
Felony assault has risen by 5.2% in the past year as 13,891 cases were reported in 2021 as compared to 13,202 cases in 2020, according to NYPD.
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