Two prisoners in South Dakota charged with attempted murder in attack on guards

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Two South Dakota prison inmates are charged with attempted murder after prosecutors say they assaulted a corrections officer then attacked another officer who rushed to help.

Both officers were treated for injuries at a hospital and released after they were attacked Thursday morning inside the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. Prosecutors didn’t provide details on the attack or the extent of the officers injuries.

The inmates — 48-year-old Lester Monroe and 30-year-old Kyle Jones — are charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, Attorney General Marty Jackley said in a news release.

Monroe is serving a more than 13-year sentence for assault on an officer and auto theft. Jones is serving a more than 50-year sentence for manslaughter, eluding police and a drug charge.

Monroe and Jones remain in the custody of the penitentiary and cannot be reached for comment. Their charges did not appear Friday in the state’s online court records, so it was not immediately clear if they have attorneys who could speak on their behalf.