Officer, Inmate Stabbed At Marion County Jail

INDIANAPOLIS -- A corrections officer and a Marion County Jail inmate were sent to separate hospitals Friday morning after the two were stabbed during a scuffle at the facility.

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Officer, Inmate Stabbed At Marion County Jail

The officer, Richard Cornell (pictured, left), was treated at Methodist Hospital and released. The injured inmate -- who police say started the scuffle and wielded the weapon -- Darrell Williams, 39, was being treated at Wishard Memorial Hospital.

Williams' injury was not believed to be life-threatening, said Maj. Dennis May of the Marion County Sheriff's Department.

Police said Williams pulled out a homemade, knifelike object while trying to attack a fellow inmate as they were being escorted to a disciplinary hearing around 9:30 a.m.

Cornell and another officer tried to disarm Williams, and Cornell suffered a stab wound in the upper torso, May said.

Williams also was stabbed in the upper torso by the weapon, which he was holding during the scuffle, May said.

Cornell, 38, is a five-year veteran of the department, May said.

May called the knifelike object a "shank," which he said was a weapon created by an inmate from whatever materials are available. May said he didn't have further details on the weapon used Friday.

At Wishard, two more shanks were found in Williams' possession, RTV6's Sy Jenkins reported.

Williams was a federal prisoner who was transferred temporarily to the jail from a penitentiary in Terre Haute, May said. Information on Williams' criminal history was not immediately available.

Williams faces a felony charge of battery as a result of Friday's incident, police said.