Philly prison guard requires surgery after attack by inmate

A female prison guard was allegedly attacked by a male inmate in the Philadelphia House of Corrections yesterday, officials announced today.

Philadelphia Prisons System (PPS) spokeswoman Shawn Hawes said that the guard required surgery for her injuries after she was assaulted around 4:45 p.m. Wednesdayduring a “routine cell check.”

The inmate, who Hawes identified asRicky Smith, 26, is in custody for includingtheft, receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and resisting arrest, according to court records. He will be charged at the conclusion the assault investigation, officials said.

“It looks like, according to the initial report, he was egged on by another inmate and he actually did the attack,” Hawes said. “The injury is significant to her face.”

The guard remains in pain from a badly split lip , said Lorenzo North, head of AFSCME Local 159, which represents city correctional officers.

“She was just working and the inmate came up to her and punched her in the face,” North said, adding that the guard was treated by a plastic surgeon.

An image of the guard viewed by Metro shows an inch-long vertical laceration through her lips.

North said it was the second such attack in that jail this week.

“The day before, another officer was punched in the face.This inmate slipped out of his cuffs and just punched the officer in the face,” he said.

Hawes confirmed that incident occurred at the House of Corrections the day before, but said the two attacks did not appear to be connected.