Rikers Island inmate who smeared feces on captain has tried to escape twice

The Rikers Island inmate who doused a city correction captain with feces has twice tried to escape from the jail — and has repeatedly attacked officers at the lockup because he faces little discipline, the president of the Correction Captains’ Association told The Post Sunday. 

Arthur Brown, who smothered Captain Nauvella Lacroix with feces on Wednesday, made two daring escape attempts from the jail complex last June, Patrick Ferraiuolo, the president of the CCA, told The Post.

During the first attempt, Brown made it as far as the East River before he was captured. 

In his second try, Brown scrambled up a fence and eventually made his way onto a roof where he sat shirtless for 30 minutes in a stare-down with prison officers at ground-level before he was nabbed. 

Brown is now confined in a new, specialized unit at Rikers for alleged criminals who need special oversight that was created as a pilot program as the Department of Corrections works to phase out solitary confinement, Ferraiuolo said. 

This June 20, 2014 file photo shows the Rikers Island jail complex in New York with the Manhattan skyline in the background.
Arthur Brown has made two unsuccessful attempts at a jailbreak from Rikers.
Seth Wenig, File/AP

He added that Brown has apparently “exhausted his time in punitive segregation” and has attacked at least six other DOC staffers, including three captains, with feces because he knows he won’t be moved anywhere else, Ferraiuolo said. 

“He’s going to continue to do this because there’s no ramifications behind it,” the president said. 

“He basically is doing it because he knows he can get away with it and he just wants to embarrass people and he’s just kind of spreading the love as far as other inmates are concerned because they’re seeing ‘hey this guy does this and there’s no sanctions behind something like this,’ it’s just a little more information,” he continued.  

“That’s his motive, ‘because I can.’ ” 

Brown, who’s locked up for allegedly beating up two NYPD cops, has a long history of throwing feces at correction staff. When he was originally booked on assault charges in 2019, he hurled human waste at an officer while inside central booking at the Manhattan criminal courthouse, court records show. 

Two days later, he was charged again for allegedly punching and trying to choke a court officer at central booking, sources previously told The Post. 

Given Brown’s history, Ferraiuolo said the most recent incident against Lacroix never should’ve happened. 

A sign marks the location of the Rikers Correctional Center in the East River on March 9, 2021
Patrick Ferraiuolo, the president of the CCA, said Brown has also repeatedly attacked corrections officers.
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

“When an inmate behaves that way and throws feces at uniformed staff, he needs to be isolated, he needs to be put in punitive segregation, there should be no exhausting of time when it comes to an inmate this violent and this dangerous,” Ferraiuolo fumed. 

“Yet, they continue to coddle the inmate. Not only has he not been put in punitive segregation, he remains in the same housing area where he has assaulted three of my captains with feces and other staff members.” 

The incident comes as the DOC is working to combat a number of staff resignations due to dangerously long work hours, “inhumane conditions” and short staffing. 

The DOC didn’t return a request for comment.

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