(CORALVILLE) – Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Corrections report a staff member was assaulted by an inmate at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville, at approximately 8:45 a.m. today (Wednesday).

A member of the support staff was talking with an inmate in her office when the inmate unexpectedly began to physically assault her. She used personal safety defensive tactics to keep the attacking inmate at bay, and additional staff members arrived to restrain the inmate.  The incident lasted less than twenty seconds.

The staff member was assessed by institution medical professionals and found to have suffered minor scratches and soreness.  The incident remains under investigation.