By Mary Divine
Pioneer Press
BAYPORT, Minn. — The Stillwater prison remained on lockdown Monday following a weekend attack on two correctional officers, Minnesota Department of Corrections officials said.
The attack happened around 4:40 p.m. Saturday at the Minnesota Correctional Facility — Stillwater in Bayport following a “routine search” of an inmate’s cell, said Sarah Fitzgerald, a spokeswoman for the DOC.
One of the officers was treated at Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater, while another “more significantly injured” officer was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Both officers have since been released.
The inmate, who was not identified, was transferred to the Minnesota Correctional Facility — Oak Park Heights’ maximum-security administrative control unit, Fitzgerald said.
The case has been referred to the Washington County Attorney’s Office to review for possible charges, she said.
The prison will remain on lockdown while corrections officials investigate the case and evaluate whether the assault connects to a January assault at the prison and “any other issues in the facility,” Fitzgerald said.
On Jan. 30, two correctional officers at the Stillwater prison were assaulted and injured during a “routine search” of an inmate’s cell, DOC officials said at the time. The officers were treated at Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater and released.
“There are no braver professionals than our state’s corrections officers,” Fitzgerald said. “We honor these officers and all those involved in the quick and professional response.”
In 2018, a Stillwater inmate attacked and killed CO Joseph Gomm in the prison’s industrial building, which resulted in calls from correctional officers for increased safety measures, including additional cameras and staffing.
(c)2022 the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.)