Guard rescued by Inmates

**dla4079** · 05-08-07, 05:57 AM

guard rescued inmates come to the aid of a corrections officer who was attacked by prisoner
May 8, 2007 12:35 am

BY KEITH EPPS

In this case, the bad guys turned out to be the good guys.

Officials at the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford are crediting five inmates with stopping what they described as an unprovoked attack on a correctional officer last week.

Superintendent Joe Higgs said Officer Charles Sanders was overseeing a meal at the jail shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday when he was "sucker-punched."

One of the 88 prisoners that he supervises hit Sanders in the eye when the officer looked down to scratch a name off a list.

The inmate, identified as 32-year-old Kevin Wade Aylor of Fredericksburg, then jumped on top of Sanders and put him in a choke hold. The entire incident is on videotape, Higgs said.

Higgs said Sanders appeared to be in serious trouble when five inmates came to his aid. Two of them pulled Sanders to safety, while the other three held the attacker down until other officers arrived.

The gash in Sanders' eye required several stitches, but Higgs said he was fortunate to escape far more serious injury.

"We're very grateful," Higgs said yesterday. "[Sanders] would have been more seriously hurt or even killed had [the inmates] not done what they did."

Aylor, who was in jail awaiting trial on a malicious wounding charge in Fredericksburg, has since been charged with three new felonies by the Stafford Sheriff's Office.

Higgs said the new charges are malicious wounding, assault on a law-enforcement officer and attacking a correctional officer who is in a supervisory position.

Higgs said jail officials don't know what spurred the attack. He said that nothing unusual was going on that day and that there had been no earlier problems involving Aylor.

Aylor has now been moved to solitary confinement and has lost all his privileges, Higgs said. He is allowed no visitors or phone calls, except from his attorney.

As for the assisting inmates, Higgs said he wasn't able to give what some of them requested--an early release.

But Higgs said he did give them his personal thanks, along with extra food and movies over the weekend.

Assaults at the jail are nothing new, Higgs said. He said correctional officers are assaulted about once a week, and there are altercations among inmates almost every day.

But Higgs said he does not recall another case in which inmates came to the aid of an officer. He said Sanders has developed a reputation for treating the inmates fairly, and it paid off for him this time.

Higgs said the problems are made worse because there are currently more than 1,000 inmates in a facility designed for 656.

"It makes for a very dangerous situation, and here's another example of it," Higgs said.

**Ducky** · 05-08-07, 08:44 AM

It's rare, but it's not the first time it's happened. I'm glad the officer wasn't hurt worse. Also glad to see the inmates manning up and doing the right thing.

**rob84** · 05-08-07, 08:59 AM

Wow, im glad he is ok. Im also in the hiring process with the Stafford Sheriffs office right now. Im going for patrol though.

**gozling** · 05-08-07, 09:01 AM

I am really glad this guy is ok.

**Rhino** · 05-08-07, 10:48 AM

Amazing what happens when you treat inmates like human beings. I learned that lesson first hand myself.

**BigDawg** · 05-08-07, 11:30 AM

Cudos to the inmates who helped.

**BEK** · 05-08-07, 01:03 PM

Well someone was hatin on the chicken

**jmur5074** · 05-08-07, 06:45 PM

When I was working in our jail, I had a really good rapport with *most* of the inmates.

One night we had a fight in our min. security block. I started ordering all of the other inmates to lock down, and they hestitated at first until I SCREAMED at them to lock down.

After the fight, I started paperwork to violate the handfull of inmates who refused to lock down, when they told me the reason they didn't do it immediately was because they wanted to help me.

I still wrote them up, but gave them less than half of the prescribed penalty. I dunno...they could have been lying.

**dapples** · 05-08-07, 07:49 PM

I learned from M that Working in a jail or prison is often as, if not more dangerous than on patrol.....glad the officer is OK

**Rhino** · 05-08-07, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by dapples

I learned from M that Working in a jail or prison is often as, if not more dangerous than on patrol.....glad the officer is OK

I've done both- I can't dispute it. At least on the street I have guns.

**jdrew** · 05-08-07, 10:06 PM

glad to see he is ok.. Luckily, I haven't been put in that situation. I can honestly say that over 90% of the inmates i deal with have a higher respect for me than most other deputies.

I guess the only thing i can say is if you are firm, fair, consistant and you are able to treat inmates with respect, you will not have near as much trouble in doing your job.

I have often heard inmates "correct" new intakes to not mess with me, even when they dont know I can hear them. In a way, it's nice to know that our long term inmates have respect for me and my job that i do. Btw, we house 525 inmates.

**Gatekeeper** · 05-08-07, 10:13 PM

I'm glad he is Ok too. I always treat the inmates the way I would like to be treated, until they earn worse. Seems to be working so far.

**Vendetta** · 05-08-07, 10:33 PM

Im afraid that attacks on C/Os in Virginia is going to become more frequent. When I worked for DOC we had a director named Ron Angelone. His golden rule was "You never touch the cloth" If you touched and employee, that was your ass. Plain and Simple.
Well a Democrat was elected and Mr. Angelone was sent packing. He was the one that introduced Super-Max prisons to Virginia. If you touched an Officer your ass got a minimum of 5 years in a supermax.
The first time I met him he told me that "If an inmate makes a fist, we get a stick. If a inmate gets a knife, we get a gun. If an inmate gets a gun..........I blow the whole fucking place up and really show them whos boss"
Quite a guy

**TXCharlie** · 05-09-07, 02:10 AM

Maybe the inmates should guard themselves

Ok, I'm delirious

**JohnnyReb** · 05-09-07, 03:40 AM

No not Kudos for the inmates. This could very well be a set up. Anyone want to guess what this inmate wants in return for his services or what the gratefull officer would be willing to bring in for him? Could all be an elaborate plan of officer munipulation.

If you helped me in a fight, you may get a thank you, that's all. No special privlages should be offered as an incentive for this "assistance" because it could become a regular scam. Inmates set up a fight, inmate breaks it up and they get a late night. (or whatever).

always think outside of the box.

As far as danger between Corrections and Patrol www.odmp.org I believe you will find many more police officers then C/Os. Not to say its not a very dangerous job, but if you look at LODDs, there are many more street LEOs.

I was editing as Term posted!

**Terminator** · 05-09-07, 03:51 AM

Originally Posted by Rhino

I've done both- I can't dispute it. At least on the street I have guns.

I strongly disagree, and I have also done both.

On the streets, those same dirtbags you dealt with in jails and prisons as a C/O, have guns just like you, as a cop.

At least a jail/prison is a controlled environment.

But if you don't agree with me that being an LEO is more dangerous than being a C/O, just go to www.odmp.org, and check for yourself. The facts speak for themselves.

**phantasm** · 05-09-07, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by dapples

I learned from M that Working in a jail or prison is often as, if not more dangerous than on patrol.....glad the officer is OK

I would have to agree, to a certain extent. Being locked in a box with nothing but criminals doesn't sound to appealing to me.

**phantasm** · 05-09-07, 10:17 AM

What is the # of COs vs the number of POs? Saying that a PO has a more dangerous job based off of merely the # of deaths isn't a reliable statistic.

**drillsgt98th** · 05-09-07, 01:05 PM

obviously both carry inherent dangers. respect is given for both ends. we are all brothers in the law enforcement field. i would never venture to say which is more dangerous. most people know what a patrol officer/local police do. correctional officers are quite a bit more clandestine to the public for certain reasons.

1: public doesnt want to know
2:security reasons prohibit the public from knowing

food for thought...think of it as being a patrolman in a town full of 2000-4000 of the worst criminals you can think of. and theres me and 500 officers (total...about 125 per shift)walkin the beat with nothing but a night stick. im out numbered 5 to 1 at least.

im glad the officer was okay. but i agree with johnny reb. it could be a set up...