SALT LAKE CITY — Two prison inmates accused of attacking and injuring an officer at the Central Utah Correctional Facility were serving life sentences for murder, officials said Thursday.
The reported assault took place at the prison in Gunnison on Wednesday morning, according to the Utah Department of Corrections. The officer suffered injuries, including fractures to his face, authorities said.
The prison was on lockdown Thursday and visiting was cancelled.
One of the inmates is accused of attacking the officer in a cell block, hitting him multiple times in the face, while another inmate shielded the attack from cameras and other officers, Sanpete County Attorney Kevin Daniels said.
Both of the inmates are currently serving life sentences in prison for murder, the prosecutor said, and are believed to belong to the same prison gang.
"We are going to do everything within our statutory power to make sure these individuals are held accountable," Daniels said. "We want to throw the book at them for what they did to this young man and for the impact that they had on all the officers at the prison."
Daniels said he is considering enhancements, meaning the inmates could be charged with first-degree felonies in the alleged assault.
"To me, an assault on an officer is the most serious crime that can occur within the prison system," Daniels said. "It will be addressed accordingly."