Three staff members at the Tecumseh State Prison are recovering after being attacked by an inmate around 7:45 Thursday night.
A prison spokesperson says the staff members were removing several inmates, who appeared to be under the influence of homemade alcohol, from the housing unit.
One inmate was standing with his hands crossed in front of him when a corporal approached him and told him he was going to place handcuffs on him. That's when prison officials say the inmate turned and swung at the corporal, who was knocked to the ground and received cuts to his head.
The inmate moved across the room and assaulted another corporal who was restraining another inmate. The corporal suffered cuts to the head, which required five stitches. The corporal also received a chipped tooth and another was knocked loose.
Staff responded and used pepper spray to stop the assault and subdue the inmate. As they were attempting to restrain the inmate, prison officials say he bit a caseworker in the thigh. The two corporals were treated and released from Johnson County Hospital. The caseworker did not seek outside medical care.
Official say the incident was isolated to one inmate and did not require the unit to be locked down. The facility is operating normally.