Officials: Philly Prison Guard Was Stabbed 12 Times

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[Update, 1:30 p.m.] Ken Gavin, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said “the plans for the pope to visit the correctional facility have not changed.”

Shawn Hawes, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Prison System, also said “nothing has changed” regarding the city’s preparations for his trip.

[Original] Shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday, law enforcement officials say that a 25-year-old prison guard at Northeast Philadelphia’s Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility was stabbed numerous times by an inmate.

Police said the 20-year-old prisoner used a makeshift weapon to stab the guard on his head, neck and arms. Paramedics took the guard to Aria Hospital’s Torresdale campus in stable condition, where he was treated for several puncture wounds, according to officials.

Lorenzo North, president of the correctional officers’ union, said the inmate “came up behind him and stabbed him 12 times.” North said the guard has since been released from the hospital and is currently recovering.

“It’s dangerous,” North said of CFCF. “The inmates we’re getting are violent on the street, and they don’t stop being violent when they get here.”

Police would not release the name of the prison guard nor that of the man who allegedly stabbed him. North said the prison guard is Tyree Holmes, and the suspect is Matthew Early.

Pope Francis is planning to visit CFCF on September 27th as part of his trip to Philadelphia during the World Meeting of Families. Will this alleged incident change his itinerary at all? We reached out to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter’s office and the Philadelphia Prison System for comment, but none immediately responded to our request.