A Washington state Penitentiary inmate has been charged with assaulting a correctional officer who was stabbed with a sharpened toothbrush.

Sgt. James Bailey was breaking up a fight on Feb. 4 of last year in the commons area of a unit for high-risk prisoners.

The Union-Bulletin reports ( http://bit.ly/WxpMsd) he took several blows but suffered only bumps and bruises because a memo notebook pad in a shirt pocket prevented the weapon from penetrating.

Castulo J. Rivas was charged Tuesday in Walla Walla with assault. Another inmate involved in the fight, Juan Valdez, was charged with custodial assault.

Bailey and three other officers injured in the fight were treated at a hospital. Four units at the prison were locked down for several days.

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Information from: Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, http://www.union-bulletin.com