DENVER — Three deputies were injured after they were allegedly assaulted by an unruly inmate at the Denver Downtown Detention Center on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Denver Sheriff Patrick Firman, 24-year-old Shyheem Temple was "clearly in crisis" when he came into the jail on a shoplifting charge around 2 p.m.
Firman said Temple, who was being held on a $100 bond and awaiting his first court appearance, was in an observation cell and began banging his head on the door saying he wanted to harm himself.
The deputies "attempted to keep [Temple] safe and from harming himself" when the scuffle happened.
The inmate now faces three felony second-degree assault of a peace officer charges -- one for each deputy.
The three deputies, who have not yet been named, have been released from the hospital. Firman would only say these were not new deputies.
Tweets from the Denver Sheriff's Fraternal Order of Police, a union that represents Denver deputies, said that while the deputies were speaking to Temple, he threw a punch.
The union said two deputies had head injuries and a third broke his hand. All three went to the hospital.
The sheriff's department said it's reviewing what happened.
As of July 21 of this year, there have been 30 assaults to staff resulting in various physical injuries, according to Firman.
Of the 30 assaults, two were transported to the hospital by ambulance. That number does not include Tuesday's incident.
