State prisons on lockdown following attack on corrections officer

GUNNISON, Sanpete County — Both of Utah's state prisons in Gunnison and Salt Lake City were placed on a "lockdown status" Thursday after a corrections officer was attacked.

"Today, both the Central Utah Correctional Facility and the Utah State Correctional Facility are on lockdown status, pending an investigation into an assault on a Correctional officer at the Central Utah Correctional Facility," according to a statement from the Department of Corrections.

A department spokesman says an inmate assaulted an officer sometime between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Thursday within one of the prison's housing units. The officer was taken to a local hospital where he is said to be "stable," according to the Department of Corrections.

Additional information about the attack or the people involved was not immediately released pending an on-going investigation. The Central Utah Correctional Facility houses only male inmates.

"The quick and courageous teamwork our people are exhibiting today is a stark contrast to the senseless violence directed at one of our officers," Corrections Commissioner Jared Garcia said Thursday in a prepared statement. "UDC has zero tolerance for these kinds of attacks. We are unified in our resolve to stop them. I'm proud and grateful to the team who acted with speed and professionalism during this difficult situation, and that our officer will fully recover."

Both prison facilities in Gunnison and Salt Lake City will remain on lockdown until the investigation is complete, the department announced.

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