Four staff members sent to hospital after assault at Tecumseh prison
The incident will be investigated with findings provided to the county attorney for determination of criminal prosecution.
Two inmates assaulted four staff members at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (TSCI) on the morning of March 21, 2020. One of the staff members sustained a serious injury.
The incident began when one inmate refused a cell search and appeared to be disposing of homemade alcohol in a toilet. When he physically refused to let staff members into his cell, they deployed chemicals (oleoresin capsicum) to gain his compliance. At that time, a second inmate from the same cell punched a staff member in the head. Staff members deployed additional chemicals in response to the assault. Both inmates kicked, punched and kneed the responding staff members. Eventually, the two men were restrained. The housing unit was placed on modified operations* when other inmates in the area refused to comply with directives from staff members following the attacks.
All four staff members were examined at a hospital. One was diagnosed with a concussion. The others had scrapes and bruises.
The incident will be investigated with findings provided to the county attorney for determination of criminal prosecution. The NDCS disciplinary process will be utilized with sanctions, such as loss of good time, applied according to the rules and regulations.
