Five male inmates at a Brisbane facility have been charged following an escape attempt and assault on a police officer over the weekend. The incident occurred at the Richlands watchhouse, prompting the Public Safety Response Team to initiate a lockdown shortly before 6pm on Saturday.
According to police reports, the altercation began when one prisoner tampered with a cell door while an officer was delivering meals. During this disturbance, the inmate allegedly assaulted the officer. Another prisoner reportedly attempted to steal the officer’s keys in the chaos. As a result, two police officers and a watchhouse officer sustained injuries in the violent encounter.
Queensland Police confirmed that the situation was quickly contained and addressed. This incident follows a troubling trend in recent weeks; just last week, two police officers were hospitalised after being attacked with a syringe by another inmate at the Redcliffe watchhouse. In the aftermath of that incident, Queensland Police Union President Shane Prior expressed concerns about the conditions that allow such violent encounters, stating that the individual responsible “should not have been in a watchhouse” and condemned the use of a syringe as a weapon.
On the night of the Richlands incident, the facility was reported to be operating near full capacity, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by correctional institutions in managing inmate safety as well as the safety of staff.