BRUCETON MILLS, WV (WBOY) – Two officers at FCI Hazelton in Preston County were injured Tuesday when they were assaulted by an inmate.

Richard Heldreth, president of Local 420 of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the inmate was apparently high on an unknown substance when the incident occurred.

The officers were attempting to restrain the inmate when the inmate began to fight them, Heldreth said.

Heldreth said both officers were sent home early.  One officer received stitches for injuries sustained in the incident, he said.

The warden chose not to secure the facility after the incident because he said it was an isolated incident, Heldreth said.

Heldreth attributes the incident to the fact that the facility needs more staff and said inmates need to be held accountable for these types of incidents to prevent them from occuring again.

Three inmates have been killed in the past year, including James “Whitey” Bulger,  who died within hours after arriving in October.  In November, the union held an informational picket near the facility to call attention to staffing issues there.