DOCCS reports 3 more WNY corrections officers hospitalized

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — For the third time in just over a week, corrections officers at a local prison have reportedly fallen ill while on the job. According to officials, different chemical or substance exposures are said to be the cause, sending more than a dozen corrections officers to local hospitals.

The most recent reported incident happened once more at the Collins Correctional Facility. According to the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, three more corrections officers were hospitalized on Tuesday.

“Everybody’s wondering when it’s going to be them. Are they going to go to the hospital today? Are they going to die tomorrow?” said Kenny Gold, the vice president of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

DOCCS said an incarcerated individual at Collins Correctional Facility was reportedly having a medical emergency on Tuesday before beginning to allegedly assault staff.

“The inmate ended up kicking one of the officers in the chest,” Gold said.

After gaining control of the prisoner, some of the staff began to feel sick, according to DOCCS. DOCCS said the incarcerated individual was under the influence of an “unknown intoxicant.”

“On the way to the facility infirmary, officers started feeling dizzy. They started sweating profusely,” Gold said. “Two officers said that their hearing, it felt like they were underwater.”

The correctional officers were reportedly sent to a local hospital for treatment and were released.

State police told WIVB News 4 they have not been called to investigate Tuesday’s incident. However, they are investigating an Aug. 4 incident where 11 corrections officers from the Collins Facility reportedly got sick while resuscitating an inmate.

“Speaking to one of the corrections officers, he told me, ‘I thought I was going to die’,” said Erie County Sheriff John Garcia.

Gold previously claimed fentanyl contact may have been to blame, but New York State Police said no hazardous drug or contaminants were identified at the scene. Gold is still calling for a complete search of the prison.

“Something’s in there. Something’s in this facility. We need to shut the place down,” Gold said. “We need to go and frisk and make sure that everybody in that, including the inmates, are safe.”

Another incident reportedly took place on Aug. 8 at the Wyoming Correctional Facility where six correctional employees approached an inmate who Gold said was in possession of a crushed pill, causing them to fall ill and be taken to the hospital.

On Aug. 9, state police reported finding no viable threats related to the alleged substance.

This brings the total number of DOCCS reported corrections employees hospitalized this month to 20.

“No one thinks when they wake up in the morning that they’re going to be trying to save someone’s life and have to be taken to ECMC,” Gold said. “That’s not right, that’s not normal.”

Tuesday’s incident comes just before local lawmakers, corrections officers and union members will gather Thursday to call on Gov. Kathy Hochul to address growing dangers to correctional officers from contraband substances, violence and understaffing.

Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.