Mass. inmate accused of attacking guards

SHIRLEY, Mass., Nov. 6 (UPI) -- An inmate at a maximum security state prison in Shirley, Mass., slashed a prison guard's neck and stabbed another guard in the cheek, a union official alleges.

Steve Kenneway, president of the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union, said both of the unidentified prison guards were treated and released from the hospital with unspecified injuries after this week's attack, The Boston Globe reported Friday.

Kenneway said the guard who was stabbed by the unidentified inmate was able to drag the other injured guard to safety during Wednesday night's incident at the Souza-Baranowksi Correction Center.

"It was a pretty heroic action," the union official said.

Prison officials said two additional correctional officers also suffered minor injuries while attempting to restrain the inmate and remove him from the prison's housing unit.

Department of Correction spokeswoman Diane Wiffin told the Globe none of the correctional workers' injuries was life-threatening.

Harold W. Clarke, commissioner of the Department of Correction, insisted Souza-Baranowski is under control despite the inmate attack.