New York City corrections department confirms incident in which group of inmates tore away plastic glass to rescue female corrections officer

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

A group of inmates at New York City’s notorious Rikers Island prison tore away plastic glass from the outside of a watchpost to rescue a female corrections officer who was being assaulted by another inmate.

The New York City corrections department confirmed on Tuesday that the incident occurred late on Saturday evening at the Anna M Kross Center within the jail. “The inmate was arrested. The matter is under investigation.”

The New York Daily News, which first obtained the story, reported that the accused inmate – 27-year-old Raleek Young – was able to get inside the watchpost after saying he needed to pick up a mattress from within another unit and needed to pass through.

According to a criminal complaint, Young began choking the officer. Young is serving a five-to-10 year sentence for rape, according to the Daily News.

Another inmate described as “skinny” was able to get into the watch post as inmates and corrections officers pulled away the glass and open the door from the inside.

The Guardian understands the department of corrections is at the early stages of an investigation but a source said that the breach of security was the result of a singular lapse rather than a systemic issue. The incident was captured on video.

Corrections officers at Rikers refused to report for a 3pm Sunday shift, according to the Daily News, but following an intervention from the corrections officer union chief Norman Seabrook, officers returned to normal duty.

Seabrook did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.