An inmate at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Center near Otay Mesa allegedly attacked an officer with an “improvised weapon” on Sunday evening, state corrections officials said.
Nelson Barrera, who has been incarcerated since 2011 for second-degree murder and intentionally discharging a firearm causing injury or death, used the weapon to stab an officer multiple times, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a release.
The weapon struck the officer’s protective vest, and the officer left the area and called for help. The officer was treated at the facility and sent home.
Barrera was locked in his cell after staff members responded, leading to a standoff during which Barrera allegedly refused to drop his weapon.
Barrera “punched a security window and injured his arms and hands” before handing over two improvised weapons to staff “without force,” CDCR said.
Barrera was transferred to a different facility, and the incident remains under investigation.
