NEW YORK, NY – Dennis Applewhite, a 29-year-old Rikers Island inmate, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stabbing a New York City Department of Correction Officer in the head multiple times. The attack occurred on October 31, 2022, at approximately 4:45 p.m. inside the Protective Custody Unit of the Anna M. Kross Center.
Applewhite went up to the 28-year-old correctional officer and stabbed him in the back of the head 12 times with an eight-inch piece of sharpened metal. Other correctional officers removed Applewhite, who was then taken into custody. The victim sustained serious injuries and was taken to Elmhurst Hospital for treatment.
Applewhite pleaded guilty to attempted assault in the first degree on February 7, 2023. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Ralph Fabrizio. The defendant is now behind bars, and justice has been served for the victim and his family.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark has stated that the defendant’s actions were brazen and unprovoked, and that the victim was working his shift in the Protective Custody Unit when he was attacked. The district attorney emphasized that anyone who harms a correctional officer will be brought to justice, and they will be held accountable for their actions.
This case serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by correctional officers every day while on the job. These brave men and women work tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of inmates and the community. The attack on the correctional officer was an attack on the entire system and the law enforcement officers who protect us.