FOLSOM, CA — Two California prison officers were hospitalized after an alleged attack by an incarcerated man, and authorities are investigating it as attempted murder, officials said Sunday.
The incident occurred Saturday at California State Prison, Sacramento, while the suspect was being escorted from his cell to allow staff to conduct a search, according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
“Staff used physical force and chemicals to quickly suppress the attack, and a makeshift weapon was recovered at the scene,” the Department of Corrections said in a statement.
The statement said the officers were transported in good condition.
Officials said the 48-year-old suspect was placed in restricted housing during the investigation. He arrived at the facility in 2011 to serve a 17-year prison sentence on charges including bodily injury to a spouse. In 2022, he received an additional four years for possession/manufacture of a deadly weapon.
The case will be referred to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office for possible felony prosecution.
The prison, located northeast of the state capital, houses more than 2,200 medium, maximum and high security inmates.