(WNY News Now) – Windsor Coleman was sentenced to 20 years to life in state prison after being convicted of assaulting correction officers and possessing prison contraband at Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt announced that Windsor Coleman, 37, formerly of Massapequa, was sentenced September 23 in Chautauqua County Court to an indeterminate state prison term of 20 years to life.

Coleman was convicted following a June jury trial of four counts of Assault in the Second Degree and two counts of Promoting Prison Contraband in the First Degree. The offenses occurred while Coleman was incarcerated at Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility.

According to prosecutors, three correction officers were injured during an incident on February 26, 2024. Officers were conducting a welfare check on Coleman’s cell after he reportedly failed to respond to calls for meal delivery.

During the incident, prosecutors said Coleman struck two officers with an object that had been modified as a weapon. A third officer was injured while helping to stop the attack and restrain Coleman.

Felony Prosecutor Andrew Hall prosecuted the case and successfully argued for Coleman to be classified as a persistent felon at sentencing. Coleman was represented by the Chautauqua County Public Defender’s Office.

“Correction Officers put their lives on the line every day to ensure the safety and security of incarcerated individuals.” said DA Schmidt. “They should not live with the threat of injury. Chautauqua County has both a county jail and a state correctional facility, this office is committed to ensuring that the officers and other employees who work in these facilities can do their jobs and perform their responsibilities free from harm from those they’ve been entrusted to supervise. Given the uptick in violence within the prison system in recent years, I hope Judge Foley’s sentence deters others from engaging in the same conduct.”

New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III said staff safety remains a priority and that violence within correctional facilities will not be tolerated.

Martuscello also commended Lakeview staff for their response and thanked the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office for prosecuting the case.

The sentence was imposed by Chautauqua County Court Judge Foley.