POLKTON — Two supervisors were stabbed and two correctional officers injured after being attacked by inmates at Lanesboro Correctional Institution on Thursday.
According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, a lieutenant and a sergeant were both stabbed by inmates around 2 p.m., the Associated Press reports.
WSOC-TV reports that officials said the two were airlifted to area hospitals, one with very serious, life-threatening injuries.
The two correctional officers were reportedly assaulted with a broom handle and their injuries were treated by prison medical staff, according to Keith Acree, department spokesman.
Acree said the prison was placed on lockdown to conduct an investigation into the incident.
Three inmates believed to be involved in the assault have been identified and were being questioned, Acree said.
Neither the names of the inmates, nor those of the injured guards, have been released.
At 9:35 p.m., Acree released an updated, saying that all four staff members wound up being taken to local hospitals. The two corrections officers were treated and released; while the lieutenant and sergeant remained in the hospital for observation, but “are expected to recover.”
Acree added that the high security portion of the prison remained on lockdown, while the medium and minimum custody units were operating normally.
WSOC-TV also reports that the Polkton Police Department has requested help in the investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Lanesboro is a multi-custody prison housing approximately 1,850 inmates according to the DPS website. The facility opened in January of 2004 and recently merged with neighboring Brown Creek Correctional Institution.
The prison also has 128 segregation cells and eight health care beds.
Correction Enterprises operates a metal products plant, which employs minimum security inmates who produces a variety of stainless steel kitchen equipment and other metal goods; as well as a packaging operation staffed by close and medium security inmates.