An inmate at the California State Prison in Los Angeles County, serving a life sentence, allegedly stabbed two guards during a cell inspection on Sunday evening. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) reported that at approximately 6:45 p.m., the inmate, identified as Shuantae R. Taylor, used an improvised weapon to attack the officers. Officers responded rapidly to the incident, which resulted in no other staff injuries, according to KTLA.
Following the attack, the two injured guards were treated on the scene by medical personnel before being transported to an outside medical facility for further care. They were thereafter discharged from the hospital. An investigation into the stabbing is treating it as an attempted murder, and the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for potential prosecution. Taylor, the alleged assailant, has since been moved to a different institution where he has been placed in restricted housing, as obtained by CDCR's Press Office.
Taylor, age 43, was originally sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for several violent crimes, including rape and using a hostage to avoid arrest. His rap sheet in prison continued to grow with additional convictions for attacks on prison staff. In 2019, he was sentenced to four years for aggravated battery on a peace officer, and the following year, to ten more years for another attack on a guard. These incidents were detailed by both CBS News Los Angeles and CDCR's official announcement.
The California State Prison, Los Angeles County, where the incident took place, has been operating since 1993 and currently houses about 2,872 inmates. The facility offers various rehabilitation programs and employs approximately 1,700 people. Following the incident, peer support services have been made available to employees to provide them with necessary support. "Taylor began stabbing both officers with an improvised weapon," CDCR officials said in a news release, a statement echoed by KTLA's coverage of the event.
