Fifteen corrections officers were injured Tuesday night after a scuffle with inmates at the Rikers Island correctional facility in the Bronx, according to a spokesman for the union that represents the officers.

The conflict began at about 8 p.m. at the Otis Bantum Corrections Center, one of the largest components at Rikers, said Corrections Officers' Benevolent Association spokesman Michael Skelly.

Inmates assaulted several officers who were trying to lock them in for the
evening, Skelly said. Additional officers responded and were also attacked, he said.

The jail's emergency service unit responded and restored order to the facility, according to Michael Skelly.

Skelly could not provide further details on the conditions of the officers or of the inmates.

Norman Seabrook stated, "Correction Officers are being violently attacked at the hands of inmates because they know that staffing levels are low and the Department of Correction continues to cut posts, jeopardizing the safety and security of Correction Officers and inmates alike. It's just a matter of time before an officer is killed at the hands of one of these violent individuals!"