SALEM, Ore. — The union for Oregon correctional officers has hired a lawyer to sue inmates who attack guards.
Association of Oregon Correctional Employees President Mike Van Patten told the Statesman Journal it’s an attempt to stop inmates from hitting, spitting or throwing human waste at guards.
The first lawsuit was filed Jan. 4 in Marion County Circuit Court by Oregon State Correction Institution Officer Jeffrey Parnell. It says inmate Nickolas John Hainz bit the inside of his cheek until it bled so he could spit HIV-infected blood on the officer.
In addition to the assault Parnell says he suffered emotional distress going through tests and waiting months to confirm he was not infected.
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