NYC Correction Officer, hailed after brutal jail assault, now finds herself targeted by DOC

A city correction agent and a single mother praised her courage in February after having undergone a brutal assault by a man held on the island of Rikers is now under fire by the correction service for alleged violations of strict rules which proscribe the exact hours when an officer on sick leave must be at home.

On Tuesday, the correction agent Shameka Mitchell was slapped with a two -week suspension by the assistant commissioner for the health management Lashawna Gordon -Dixon during an internal hearing – aroused strong criticism from the officer’s family and his union.

Mitchell, a veteran of the 12 -year -old department, was in the middle of a tour of last 4 pm last February 8 to cover a shortage of staff in the Correctional Center of Otis Bantum on the island of Rikers when the detainee Robert struck him on the back of the head, which caused his face to slam in the ground of the message.

She suffered a fracture of the eyes and other injuries and spent five days in intensive care. While she was lying at the hospital, Ray, 33, was translated by a crowd of colleagues officers and union representatives of Mitchell, including President Benny Boscio. When it was returned under its own power, more than 100 officers were present to applaud it.

“” Our heart is with our courageous officer whose recovery is our first priority, “said Commissioner for Correction Lynelle Maginley-Liddie.” The department and our entire city are with it. “”

Eight months later, the tone changed. Including Tuesday’s decision, the ministry suspended it without salary three times not to be at home when the investigators on sick leave checked it.

“She put the needs of the department before hers, and she paid her with her health. But instead of being supported, she was punished,” her sister Robin Mitchell told Daily News.

The examination and disciplinary actions, said Mitchell’s sister, are not justified. The officer, said his sister, raises a daughter, 7, and a son, 13, and there is no one to transport them to school and their various events after school. The aunt of Mitchell, the long -time caregiver when their mother was at work is in the middle of a battle against cancer.

At the same time, Mitchell pleaded with Doc to let her return to work, but the agency rejected these requests even if, according to Robin, his private doctors authorized him to return to work. But the doctor of the department determined that she was not able to return. Consequently, Mitchell cannot work and was deprived of the overtime on which she relied on to pay her expenses.

Doc will not place it on the status of medical supervision, essentially office work, which would allow it to return to work but not of the prison population, says its sister. About 287 other officers or 4% of staff in uniform are currently on the ROR status, according to files.

Benny Boscio, president of the Officeers Benevolent Association correction, said Mitchell should be authorized to return to work or receive a wider window outside.

“Officer Mitchell, who was the victim of an uninsured odious attack, was authorized by his independent doctor and wishes to return to work,” he said.

“In what has become a typical dysfunction and mismanagement display, Doc has suspended the Mitchell officer while simultaneously refusing it to return to work in any way. Doc cannot punish the officers who are absent because they were violently attacked by the prisoners and then refuse the notes of their doctor authorizing their return to work. ”

Doc spokesperson Latima Johnson refused to comment on the treatment of the Mitchell affair, saying that the agency provided “total support to the police injured in the exercise of his duties”.

“Ministerial services include medical care, support services and accommodation that may be necessary during sick leave,” said Johnson. “Although we did not discuss the personal medical information of anyone, we remain in close communication with the staff to provide support throughout their recovery.”

Mitchell had never been suspended before.

However, it can be faced with a more intense examination due to previous problems with abuse of sick leave. In 2021 and 2022, DOC was criticized after hundreds of officers took advantage of liberal sick leave policies to remain poorly unemployed for long periods.

The ministry has moved to strengthen the requirements, including the application of the provisions which oblige agents to be at home when they were sick, with the exception of pre-approved reasons and during certain periods in a given day.

According to a chronology provided by his sister, Mitchell spent seven days throughout Mount Sinai Hospital Morningside before emerging on February 14 to a usual disengagement with officers.

Mitchell learned, according to her sister, that she had a “accommodation” to leave the house if necessary.

But on February 28, when she was at an appointment on therapy, she received a violation for not having informed Doc.

Gordon-Dixon, the assistant commissioner of health management, was initially favorable and the violation was rejected, but then began to block the requests of Mitchell and to suspend it, according to the chronology.

She received 30 -day authorizations to leave the house if necessary in April and May. On May 9, the doctors of the Correction Department told her that she could not return for at least a year, but on June 11, Mitchell provided the first four reports of her doctor, the cleaner to return in full service.

But his requests have been refused several times. Its release of a day was reduced to four hours on weekdays and 12 hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Mitchell has always had her childcare tasks and was struck with violations on June 12, July 4 and July 15.

On August 7, it was struck by a suspension of seven days from August 13 to August 20, which it called.

On September 2, Gordon-Dixon denied another plea to return to work.

On September 18, she was slapped with another violation when she took her aunt to the hospital for treatment against cancer.

On Tuesday, she attended an hearing and received the unpaid two -week suspension. She was prevented from using existing holidays.

“My sister held her cool, but she was really upset about it,” said Robin Mitchell. “This situation aggravates his financial tension, his mental health and creates difficulties for his family. This creates constant stress. “

“The ministry will work with the needs of an officer and there are processes in place for this,” said another spokesman for the DOC, Patrick Gallahue on Thursday.

A great jury of the Bronx charged the Mitchell striker, Robert Ray, in March for four accusations by assault and obstructing government administration. He should return to court on December 5, according to the files. Eric Steltzer, spokesperson for the Bronx district prosecutor’s office, refused to comment on the way Mitchell’s treatment could affect the criminal case against his alleged striker.

Ray Andrew Bottari’s lawyer did not respond to a telephone message.