An inmate at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution assaulted a staff member on Monday, April 8th.
The incident happened around 1:40 p.m. when the inmate left his cell when the door was accidentally opened.The inmate then hit the staff member in the head and torso with his fists.that staff and several others were able to help subdue the inmate.One staff did use pepper spray to help bring the inmate under control.
A homemade weapon was found at the scene but was not used in the assault.
“It appears this situation was the result of human error,” explained Scott R. Frakes, director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. “Mistakes can lead to bad outcomes in any line of work, and this is especially true in corrections. Modified operations will remain in place until we complete the steps necessary to ensure this does not happen again.”
Frakes said that initially the door to a shower was supposed to be opened, instead of the cell door. The officer who was assaulted went to Johnson County Hospital where he was assessed. He later returned to the facility.
As a result of this incident and another that occurred on March 2, the Special Management Unit (SMU) at TSCI, has been placed on modified operations*. The SMU holds individuals who are assigned to restrictive housing. The remainder of the facility is operating normally.
The incident remains under investigation.