Video shows a violent attack on a Cook County correctional officer during a routine security check

COOK COUNTY – The union representing Cook County correctional officers is calling for immediate safety reforms after a parolee was attacked by a Cook County Corrections Department inmate.

The violent Oct. 6 incident was captured on surveillance video.

According to Teamsters Local 700, the officer was conducting a routine security check alone at a residence hall, following the direction of a supervisor who was not present in the building. The union says this is a violation of department protocol, which requires officers to be assisted in such situations.

After the attack, the union alleges the supervisor neglected to call 911 to request medical attention and instead sent the officer alone to the prison’s medical facility, where he waited hours for treatment before being called to resume his duties.

“Officer safety must be the Cook County Department of Corrections’ top priority, but right now the Sheriff’s Office is woefully underperforming,” Teamsters Local 700 President Ramon Williams said in a statement.

“Our members are sent by superiors into extremely dangerous situations without adequate support, resulting in violent outcomes like this. Additionally, several days after the incident, this perpetrator has still not been charged with his heinous act, sending a message to other inmates that this behavior has no consequences for the men and women who put their lives at risk every day at CCDOC .”

The union is calling for a full investigation into the incident. Their demands include charging affected inmates a fee, increasing staffing levels, adequate assistance with security checks and the presence of supervisors in the buildings.

FOX 32 has reached out to the Cook County Department of Corrections for comment and we are waiting to hear back.