Inmate Attacks 7 Deputies At Denver Downtown Detention Center

DENVER (CBS4) - Seven Denver Sheriff's deputies were attacked by an inmate at the Denver Downtown Detention Center over the weekend. A spokesperson for the Denver Sheriff Department said it happened early Saturday morning in the intake area.

All seven deputies and the inmate were examined at Denver Health afterward. The inmate is in custody and being held on investigation for assault of a police officer, the department confirmed.

Michael Britton, the vice president of the Denver Sheriff's Fraternal Order of Police, spoke to CBS4 on behalf of some of the deputies involved. He described the inmate as "very agitated."

"They were trying to take him to an observation cell. During this escort, the individual ended up turning and hitting one of the officers and trying to run out of intake, and in order to prevent the escape several officers ended up responding," said Britton. "The inmate made several aggressive punches on the officers, kicked the officers, and seven of the officers, at the end of this melee, ended up having to go to the hospital."

Britton shared with CBS4 several pictures that he said showed one of the deputies' injuries, which included bruising near the bicep. He also said several deputies suffered head and knee injuries.

According to Britton, a former sheriff's deputy, attacks like Saturday's are one of several things bringing down deputies' morale. He described other safety concerns related to the current COVID-19 outbreak at the detention center, as well as frustrations with the slow process to hire a new sheriff.

Former Sheriff Patrick Firman, who was appointed in 2015, resigned from his position in October and was replaced by interim Sheriff Fran Gomez.

"The officers have no one to lead them right now and what you have is chaos going on inside that jail," Britton described.

The Denver Sheriff Department didn't provide a response to those concerns when reached out to by CBS4 on Sunday, but it has recently defended its handling of the virus. In a previous report by CBS4 investigator Rick Sallinger, the department said the population has been reduced by about half during the virus period. Additionally, all incoming inmates are tested and housing pods have been created for inmates who test positive.

According to data provided by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the detention center has seen 183 positive cases among residents.