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Two prison inmates at Auckland's Paremoremo Prison have been charged after a guard was punched and kicked as he lay on the ground unconscious.
North Shore police spokesman Kevin Loughlin said the men had been charged with serious assault following the incident in the jail's B block yesterday morning.
Police said two men, believed to be Black Power affiliates, beat the officer and attacked a colleague who went to his aid.
The guard was taken to North Shore Hospital with a head wound afterwards. The second officer was treated at the prison.
Detective Sergeant Craig Armstrong of the North Shore CIB yesterday said the attack happened in the prison's B block about 10.30am.
Security footage showed the first guard walking along a hallway and being approached by the two inmates before he was attacked, Mr Armstrong said.
"He's been knocked out, or knocked unconscious at some point, and then they've punched him and kicked him while he's on the ground unconscious.
"A second guard's come in to assist and he was assaulted as well by one of them. He was punched. There was a small altercation before they were restrained and put into their cells."
Two more inmates had deliberately slowed the guards coming to help, Mr Armstrong said. The attack ended when extra officers arrived.
Mr Armstrong said the prisoners were unco-operative with police yesterday and refused to comment.
However, it was likely the attackers would face charges which could see their prison sentences extended.
Mr Armstrong would not say why the men were in prison.
He added that the reason for the attack was not clear.
"I don't think it was anything against that particular guard but I think a guard was set up by them in a planned assault."
Corrections Department northern regional manager Warren Cummins said the two inmates had been segregated from other prisoners.
"Corrections holds staff safety paramount," he said.
"The prison environment can be volatile, and staff are trained how to deal with the sometimes unpredictable nature of prisoners."
The attack same three days after the arrest of a 48-year-old Corrections officer on suspicion of smuggling cannabis into the prison.
He has been suspended from duty and is to appear in North Shore District Court on Thursday.
