Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union call for changes after officer on life support after violent gym attack

The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union Executive Board announced Wednesday that in the wake of the brutal assault on Correction Officer Matthew Tidman that several measures take place.

According to the Board, on August 31, Correction Officer Matthew Tidman was violently assaulted with a 10-15-pound piece of lead gym equipment at the Shirley Medium Prison in Shirley, MA. The attack was by an inmate while Officer Tidman was posted up monitoring movement into the gym area. Unprovoked, the inmate struck Officer Tidman in the head with the piece of equipment. He immediately fell to the floor where the inmate wielded the equipment and struck Tidman several more times in the head.

A Recreation Officer and Correction Officer were able to subdue the inmate to prevent further assault on Tidman.

Currently, Tidman is on life support after being transported by med flight to a hospital.

The Board has asked for the following actions:

1. The Middlesex District Attorney prosecute the inmate to the fullest extent of the law to include attempted murder.
2. The Attorney General’s Office with the Massachusetts State Police to fully investigate this incident.
3. A full investigation into this assault and how such a violent criminal was in a medium security prison.
4. That all free weights be removed at all maximum and medium security prisons immediately.

A GoFundMe fundraiser to help Tidman and his family has raised $88,000 as of this writing.

The family has asked for privacy in order to focus on Tidman.