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Metro

Rikers inmate charged with attempted murder for pummeling NYC officer

By
Tina Moore,
Amanda Woods and
Alyssa Guzman
Published Aug. 24, 2023
Updated Aug. 24, 2023, 4:05 p.m. ET

A Rikers Island inmate has been charged with attempted murder after he pummeled a New York City correction officer — punching and kicking the guard in the head even after he was knocked unconscious.

Rashidi Smith, 41, apparently flew into a rage at 1:20 a.m. Wednesday after he told a jail guard he was due to be sprung that day — and the CO replied he would have to wait until the main office opened to call about Smith’s release, according to the criminal complaint against him.

Smith — who was locked up on assault charges — allegedly attacked the officer, punching him four to five times in the face and slamming his head into a chair, Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association (COBA) president Benny Boscio said in a press release.

He continued to pummel the guard even after the CO fell unconscious, striking his head “more than half a dozen times” and kicking him in the head, Boscio said.

The savage beating was stopped after another guard used a “chemical agent” on Smith in Rikers’ Otis Bantum Correctional Center, according to the union.

“This brutal and unprovoked assault could have killed this officer simply for doing his job,” Boscio said.

The hurt correctional officer laying on a gurney with a neck brace on.
Randi Smith, 41, knocked an unidentified correctional officer (above) unconscious after “punching the officer four to five times in his face and then slammed the officer’s head into a chair.” NY Daily News

The union released a photo of the officer, who was seen wearing a neck brace and a mask, and appeared to be sleeping.

The guard suffered a laceration on the back of his head, as well as a hematoma and swelling, and was left with no feelings in the fingers on his right hand and his entire left arm. He also has “substantial pain” in his back, neck and head, according to the complaint.

He was awaiting test results to determine if he has spinal or neck damage.

The attack happened inside the Otis Bantum Correctional Center on Wednesday around 1:30 a.m.
The attack was stopped after another correctional officer used a “chemical agent” on Smith inside the Otis Bantum Correctional Center.

Department of Corrections Commissioner Louis Molina condemned the incident, saying in a statement: “Any act of violence towards our officers will be met with swift consequences. The entire DOC team is praying for the officer’s full recovery, and I want to commend the second officer who intervened and stopped the attack.”

Smith was arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court on Thursday and ordered held without bail. He’s due back in court Tuesday.

Reports of disturbing conditions at Rikers Island have led to increased threats of a federal takeover of the city jail system.

A DOC sign outside of Rikers Island jail.
The inmate was initially locked up on assault charges. Matthew McDermott

Earlier this month, a report revealed that NYC lockups were seeing a dip in staffing of 25% compared to two years ago.

The city employs 6,257 uniformed officers, down from 8,388, according to figures from the NYC Independent Budget Office.

At least seven inmates have died in custody this year, with multiple staffers facing suspensions connected to the deaths.

Nineteen inmates died in 2022.