MONROE, Washington — A correctional officer in Monroe was hospitalized Thursday after an inmate tackled and punched him, the Washington State Department of Corrections said.
The attacked happened around 10 a.m. in the F living pod of the special offender unit.
Jimi Hamilton went after the officer as he was standing at his post, the corrections department said. Other officers pulled Hamilton off and got medical help for the victim.
Hamilton, 33, is serving a 14-year sentence for two counts of robbery in Pierce County. Officials said he has a history of prison infractions, including assaults on custodial staffers.
The Monroe Police Department is investigating the attack on the correctional officer.
The special offender unit is being operated on restricted movement, the corrections department said. It houses mentally ill offenders and has a current population of 346, all men.
F-unit, where the attack happened, has an offender population of 152. It’s staffed by three corrections officers, one sergeant and nine non-custody staffers.