Guard stabbed by inmate in security unit at Corcoran Prison

A corrections officer in a high-security unit at Corcoran State Prison was stabbed by an inmate who used a handmade key to break free from his handcuffs, authorities said Wednesday afternoon.

The officer was treated for puncture wounds to his neck, head and shoulder and was listed in good condition, according to authorities with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The officer was stabbed with a inmate-made weapon.

Authorities said another officer was kicked by an inmate and that two others sustained injuries to their wrists, backs and knees when they responded to gain control of the incident.

The attack took place in the prison’s Security Housing Unit as officers were escorting inmates from small management yards to their cells, authorities said in a statement.

Known as the SHU, the Security Housing Unit holds some of the most dangerous inmates in the California prison system. They are segregated from the general prison population. Some are members of prison gangs, and others have attacked guards, according to authorities.

On Wednesday, authorities identified the suspected attacker as Dan Felix, 35, who was admitted from Los Angeles County in April 1997 for attempted murder. Felix is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole.

The inmate who kicked the officer was identified as convicted murderer Steven Rivera, who also was admitted from Los Angeles County, according to corrections authorities. He is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for two counts of first-degree murder.

The attack is under investigation.

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robert.lopez@latimes.com