Correctional officer stabbed in chest by inmate at Lewis Prison

BUCKEYE, Ariz. (FOX 10/AP) - Officials say a correctional officer was stabbed in the chest by an inmate at Lewis Prison Wednesday morning.

According to the Arizona Department of Corrections, an inmate at the Buckley Unit who was being transferred to a medical building pulled out a prison-made weapon and began swinging it at a correctional officer, striking him in the chest.

The inmate was immediately restrained and the correctional officer was taken to a nearby hospital for what is believed to be non-life threatening injuries.

Officials say the weapon used in the attack was fashioned from a portable immersion heater coil. The inmate will be moved to maximum security housing and will face criminal charges.

Officials say the incident was not related to the functionality of doors or any locking mechanisms at the prison.

"It's not a result of what's been previously reported," said Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. "This was an inmate that did this with intent."

It was a little more than a week ago that videos surfaced of inmates tampering with cell locks inside the facility, creating a dangerous situation. Inmates and guards were shown being beaten, resulting in a few injuries and one death.

The Department of Corrections concurs with Gov. Ducey that Wednesday's incident was not related to the lock issue, and the building was at food staff.

"I want it to be a safe place for correctional officers. I want it to be a safe place for our inmates. I want to know all the facts before I make any comments on personnel," said Gov. Ducey.

The Department of Corrections recently announced they had begun transferring inmates from the prison. In addition, Gov. Ducey has appointed two former Arizona Supreme Couty justices to investigate, and Ducey said he plans to let them work.

"We're working on a timeline for the report that they're going to do, and we have an active group outside the Department of Corrections that's identifying what the priorities are, what's needed to be done, what resources are going to be necessary to do that, also, how did this happen in the first place," said Gov. Ducey.