18 guards injured at juvenile detention center

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Calls are growing to shut down a Bronx juvenile detention center after the second large brawl involving inmates in less than a week injured 18 guards.

The Department of Correction officers were hurt while trying to break up a fight at the Horizon Juvenile Center. The center started taking in violent juveniles on Oct. 1, the day a new state law took effect requiring 16- and 17-year-old violent inmates be moved there from Rikers Island.

Guards there are not allowed to carry weapons, handcuffs or pepper spray because the inmates are underage.

Last Wednesday, 20 officers were injured in a similar incident.

“This latest eruption of violence at Horizon now brings the total number of badly injured COs to over 40 since the facility opened last week," said Elias Husamudeen, COBA President.  "How many Correction Officers have to have their noses broken until the Governor and the Mayor wake up and shut down this facility?"

The New York City Administration for Children’s Services said instances of violence “involving youth and officers” were quickly addressed.