Penitentiary police officers throw themselves from the roof of the Syracuse prison to escape the inmates' stone throwing

Some penitentiary police officers on duty in the Syracuse prison jumped from the roof, from a height of approximately 4 metres, to escape the inmates' stone throwing. They suffered trauma and bruises. No one's life is in danger. The dramatic episode happened on Thursday, but was only made known now, during the revolt of a group of prisoners. From an initial reconstruction, the prisoners climbed onto the roof and damaged the photovoltaic panels. Then they used stones and iron bars against the officers. The latter, at least six or seven of them, climbed onto the roof with only their shields. Some jumped down out of fear.

"There is one aspect on which we immediately demand clarity: who decided, ordered or authorized the officers to go up onto the roof to face inmates who had stones, rubble and iron bars at their disposal?" asks Aldo Di Giacomo, general secretary of the Penitentiary Police Union who has asked for the removal of the director and commander of the Syracuse prison and the immediate opening of an administrative investigation. "We ask to understand whether the rules of engagement envisaged to deal with such chaotic and critical situations have been applied correctly. We believe it unacceptable that such a limited number of troublemakers could have caused such a level of violence and sent as many as ten units of the penitentiary police to hospital" adds Giuseppe Argentino, provincial secretary of the Autonomous Penitentiary Police Trade Union Organisation.