{"id":279896,"date":"2025-10-05T16:44:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T16:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/279896\/"},"modified":"2025-10-05T16:44:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T16:44:12","slug":"nyc-correction-officer-hailed-after-brutal-jail-assault-now-finds-herself-targeted-by-doc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/279896\/","title":{"rendered":"NYC Correction Officer, hailed after brutal jail assault, now finds herself targeted by DOC"},"content":{"rendered":"

A city correction officer and single mom hailed for her courage in February<\/a> after suffering a brutal assault from a man held on Rikers Island now finds herself under fire by the Correction Department for alleged breaches of strict rules that proscribe exact hours when an officer on sick leave must be home.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Correction Officer Shameka Mitchell was slapped with a two-week suspension by Assistant Commissioner for Health Management Lashawna Gordon-Dixon during an internal hearing \u2013 sparking sharp criticism from the officer\u2019s family and her union.<\/p>\n

Mitchell, a 12-year department veteran, was in the midst of a 16-hour tour last Feb. 8 to cover a staff shortage in the Otis Bantum Correctional Center<\/a> on Rikers Island when detainee Robert Ray slugged her in the back of head causing her face to slam into the mess hall floor.<\/p>\n

She suffered a fractured eye socket and other injuries and spent five days in intensive care. As she lay in the hospital, Ray, 33, was arraigned before a crowd of Mitchell\u2019s fellow officers and union reps including president Benny Boscio. When she was discharged under her own power, more than 100 officers<\/a> were present to applaud her.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u201dOur heart is with our brave officer whose recovery is our first priority,\u201d declared Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie. \u201cThe department and our entire city is with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Corrections<\/p>\n

Obtained by Daily News<\/p>\n

Mitchell suffered a fractured eye socket and other injuries and spent five days in intensive care. (Obtained by Daily News)<\/p>\n

Eight months later, the tone has changed. Including Tuesday\u2019s decision, the department has suspended her without pay three times for not being home when sick leave investigators checked on her.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe put the department\u2019s needs ahead of her own, and she paid for it with her health. But instead of being supported, she has been punished,\u201d her sister Robin Mitchell told the Daily News..<\/p>\n

The scrutiny and disciplinary actions, Mitchell\u2019s sister said, are unwarranted. The officer, her sister said, is raising a daughter, 7, and a son, 13, and there\u2019s no one to ferry them to school and their various after-school events.\u00a0 Mitchell\u2019s aunt, the long-time caregiver when their mom was at work is in the midst of a cancer battle.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Mitchell has pleaded with DOC to let her return to work, but the agency has rejected those requests even though, according to Robin, her private doctors have cleared her to return to work. But the department\u2019s doctor has determined she is not fit to return. As a result, Mitchell can\u2019t work and has been deprived of the overtime she relied on to pay her expenses.<\/p>\n

DOC won\u2019t place her on so-called medical monitoring status, essentially a desk job, that would allow her to return to work but not around the jail population, her sister says. Roughly 287 other officers or 4% of the uniformed staff<\/a> are currently on MMR status, records show.<\/p>\n

Benny Boscio, president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association<\/a>, said Mitchell should either be allowed to return to work or given a wider window of out-of-home hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cOfficer Mitchell, who was the victim of an unprovoked heinous inmate assault, has been cleared by her independent doctor and wants to return to work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn what has become a typical display of DOC dysfunction and mismanagement, DOC has been suspending Officer Mitchell while simultaneously refusing to let her return to work in any capacity.\u00a0 DOC cannot punish officers who are out because they were violently assaulted by inmates and then refuse their Doctor\u2019s notes authorizing their return to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Benny<\/p>\n

Barry Williams\/ New York Daily News<\/p>\n

Benny Boscio (right), president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association, looks on in February as NYCDOC officer Shameka Mitchell leaves Mt. Sinai Morningside hospital. (Barry Williams\/ New York Daily News)<\/p>\n

DOC spokeswoman Latima Johnson declined to comment on the handling of Mitchell\u2019s case, saying the agency provides \u201cfull support to officers injured in the line of duty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDepartmental benefits include medical care, support services, and accommodations that may be needed during sick leave,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cWhile we do not discuss anyone\u2019s personal medical information, we remain in close communication with staff to provide support throughout their recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitchell had never previously been suspended.<\/p>\n

She may, however, be facing more intense scrutiny due to prior issues with sick leave abuse. In 2021 and 2022, DOC came under withering criticism after hundreds of officers<\/a> took advantage of liberal sick leave policies to improperly stay out of work<\/a> for extended periods.<\/p>\n

The department moved to tighten requirements, including enforcement of provisions that require officers to be at home while out sick except for pre-approved reasons and during certain periods in a given day.<\/p>\n

According to a chronology provided by her sister, Mitchell spent seven days in all in Mt. Sinai Hospital Morningside<\/a>\u00a0before emerging Feb. 14 to a customary walkout thronged with officers.<\/p>\n

Mitchell was told, her sister claims, that she had an \u201caccommodation\u201d to leave home as necessary.<\/p>\n

But on Feb. 28, while she was at a therapy appointment, she received a violation for not notifying DOC.<\/p>\n

\"Correction<\/p>\n

Courtesy of family<\/p>\n

Correction Officer Shameka Mitchell is pictured with her two children prior to the Rikers attack. (Courtesy of family)<\/p>\n

Gordon-Dixon, the Health Management assistant commissioner, was initially supportive and the violation was dismissed, but subsequently began blocking Mitchell\u2019s requests and suspending her, according to the chronology.<\/p>\n

She received 30-day clearances to leave home as needed in April and May. On May 9, Correction Department doctors told her she couldn\u2019t return for at least a year, but on JUne 11, Mitchell supplied the first of four reports from her doctor clearing her to return to full duty.<\/p>\n

But her requests were repeatedly denied. Her full-day clearance was cut to four hours on weekdays and 12 hours on Saturdays and Sundays.<\/p>\n

Mitchell still had her child care duties and was hit with with violations June 12, July 4 and July 15.<\/p>\n

\"NYCDOC<\/p>\n

Barry Williams\/ New York Daily News<\/p>\n

Correction Officer Shameka Mitchell leaves Mount Sinai Morningside hospital in February. (Barry Williams\/ New York Daily News)<\/p>\n

On Aug. 7, she was hit with a seven day suspension from Aug. 13 to Aug. 20, which she appealed.<\/p>\n

On Sept. 2, Gordon-Dixon denied another plea to return to work.<\/p>\n

On Sept. 18, she was slapped with another violation while she took her aunt to the hospital for cancer treatment.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, she attended a hearing and received the two-week unpaid suspension. She was barred from using existing vacation time.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sister held her composure but she was really upset about it,\u201d Robin Mitchell said. \u201cThis situation is worsening her financial strain, her mental health and creating hardship for her family. It\u2019s creating constant stress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Correction<\/p>\n

Obtained by Daily News<\/p>\n

Correction Officer Shameka Mitchell is pictured after being attacked on Rikers Island in February 2025. (Obtained by Daily News)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe department will work with an officer\u2019s needs and there are processes in place for that,\u201d another DOC spokesman, Patrick Gallahue, said Thursday, speaking generally.<\/p>\n

A Bronx Grand Jury indicted Mitchell\u2019s attacker<\/a>, Robert Ray, in March on four assault charges and obstructing governmental administration. He is due to return to court Dec. 5, records show. Eric Steltzer, a spokesman for the Bronx District Attorney\u2019s office, declined comment on how Mitchell\u2019s treatment could affect the criminal case against her alleged attacker.<\/p>\n

Ray\u2019s lawyer Andrew Bottari did not reply to a phone message.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A city correction officer and single mom hailed for her courage in February after suffering a brutal assault…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":279897,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,5295,728,405,403,5296,8989,50,5226,5225,5228,5227,80,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-279896","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-crime-and-public-safety","10":"tag-local-news","11":"tag-new-york","12":"tag-new-york-city","13":"tag-new-york-news","14":"tag-new-york-politics","15":"tag-news","16":"tag-newyork","17":"tag-newyorkcity","18":"tag-ny","19":"tag-nyc","20":"tag-politics","21":"tag-united-states","22":"tag-united-states-of-america","23":"tag-unitedstates","24":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","25":"tag-us","26":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115322570236062366","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279896\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/279897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}