CHICAGO (CBS) — The beating of a Cook County Jail guard by inmates was caught on video this past weekend—and union leaders representing correction officers now have safety concerns.
Teamsters Local 700, which represents Cook County Jail correctional officers, said the guard who was beaten up had been ordered by a supervisor to do a safety check of a dorm by himself this past Sunday. The union said this was a violation of Cook County Sheriff’s department policy.
As the Cook County probational correctional officer made his safety rounds Sunday night, he was suddenly sucker-punched by an inmate who then began to stomp on the officer’s head.
The beatdown came to an end only after another inmate appeared to step in.
“The sheriff’s own staff didn’t follow his own protocols,” said Anthony McGee, vice president Teamsters Local 700.
McGee used to be a cook county correctional officer himself. He said a supervisor violated jail policies when he ordered the guard to do the safety check of the dorm not only by himself—but without backup and without any other officers on the floor.