Corrections officer hurt in attack says probe mishandled

Officer in inmate attack at Wyatt prison speaks out

AP — A corrections officer injured in an attack by an inmate at the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls says prison officials tried to cover up the incident.

Scot Belford of Glocester told WPRI-TV that he's speaking out at the risk of losing his job in an effort to spur management changes and prevent other offices from getting hurt.

State police say inmate Christopher Morales beat Belford unconscious while handcuffed in April 2011. Belford says he was ordered by a prison major to handcuff Morales with his hands in front of his body instead of behind his body, in violation of protocol. Belford says Morales wasn't charged and prison officials told him to keep quiet.

A prison lawyer declined requests to interview prison administration officials, citing an ongoing internal investigation.