Serious episodes of violence and disturbance of order, culminating in a violent attack on a prison officer and an arson attack in the “Apollo” detention unit of the Arghillà prison in Reggio Emilia. The attacked officer was promptly rescued and transported to the local hospital, while, almost at the same time, a repeat inmate for similar episodes set fire to his cell, generating a fire of vast proportions and seriously endangering the lives of staff and inmates.
Thanks to a coordinated intervention by the Penitentiary Police personnel on duty, the flames were put out and it was possible to avoid a tragedy. During the evacuation operations, some officers were intoxicated by the fumes while rescuing an elderly, non-ambulatory prisoner who was trapped in the cell filled with smoke and in obvious breathing difficulty. The local emergency room has certified a prognosis of up to 34 days for some officers who were injured or intoxicated and injured during the intervention and the attack.