Surveillance-style footage from inside the Suffolk County House of Correction in Boston shows three correction officers trading blows in a cramped elevator early Saturday morning, turning a routine ride into a full-on scuffle.
The video, timestamped at about 7:30 a.m., shows a cup of coffee getting slapped from one officer’s hand, which appears to spark the fight, according to 7News Boston. The confrontation quickly spills onto the elevator floor. A third officer, holding a plate with two bananas, tries to get between the two but falls in the process. When the doors open again, a fourth officer is visible trying to step in, and two male officers eventually enter and pull the women apart, the outlet reported. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department said there were no inmates present when the fight happened and that an internal investigation is underway.
What the footage shows
In a statement shared with Boston.com, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department said, “The Department will take the appropriate disciplinary action warranted by the results of the investigation.” Officials reiterated that there were no inmates or detainees in the area of the incident and confirmed that the internal probe is ongoing. The identities of the officers seen in the video have not been released.
Staff safety and recent incidents
The elevator dust-up comes as correctional staff safety is already under a spotlight across Massachusetts, following a violent attack last year at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center that left multiple officers injured and triggered union calls for security reviews. That earlier episode, and union-released video of it, fueled public debate over staffing levels, contraband and how state prisons are run. WCVB reported on the previous attack and the push for a statewide review…