The Burke County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Division of Prisons, are investigating inmate Jose Rios’ (1548344) assault on an officer at Foothills Correctional Institution. As previously reported, the assault happened Saturday at approximately 9:30 p.m. in a housing unit at the facility.
Prisons Director Kenneth Lassiter’s statement on the assault:
“Rios has a history of assaultive and threatening behavior as evidenced by the crime that landed him in prison and the rules infractions he has been charged with since his incarceration. I appreciate the prompt response of the other prison staff who came to the officer’s aid and we are all hopeful the officer, who remains in stable condition, will be released from the hospital very soon. I am also grateful to the law enforcement that are investigating the assault and I want to see the inmate prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. As I and others have been stating, the inmates the prison system must now manage are increasingly more violent than in years past and it will take everyone from employees, to our law enforcement partners, as well as the Executive and Legislative branches to make our prisons safer.”
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