3 Nebraska prison inmates beat 5 staff members with ‘manufactured weapons’

Five staff members at a Nebraska prison were punched, kicked and stabbed with “manufactured weapons” when they were attacked by three inmates, the state’s Department of Correctional Services said.

The injuries from the attack on Wednesday at the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln were severe but not life-threatening, the state agency said. All five were taken to a hospital.

A news release from the Department of Correctional Services said the inmates involved in the attack were intoxicated and housed in a high-security, maximum-custody unit.

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“Staff responded quickly and contained the situation within minutes,” Warden Taggart Boyd said in the release. Three weapons were recovered.

The news release didn’t say what prompted the assault, but Mike Chipman, head of the union representing corrections workers, told KETV-TV that an inmate faked an illness, and inmates attacked a staff member who came into his cell. When other workers arrived to help, they were attacked, too, Chipman said.

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A message left Thursday with an agency spokeswoman wasn’t immediately returned.

Two other staff members were injured while responding to the attack but the injuries were not from being assaulted, the news release said. It wasn’t immediately clear how they were injured.

The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating. As of Thursday morning, no charges have been filed.