A 62-year-old Cattaraugus County sheriff’s deputy was beaten and
nearly died Wednesday when an inmate he was transporting attacked
him and tried to escape.

Cattaraugus County Sheriff Department Capt. Robert Buchhardt
told The Era Thursday that Deputy Robert Neal was home
recuperating, but had suffered “multiple abrasions and contusions
to his head and face,” some of which required stitches.

Neal was transporting Michael Schrock, 38, back from the Town of
Machias Court Wednesday night about 8:20 p.m. when Schrock attacked
him, Buchhardt said.

The deputy had followed all the established procedures for
handling an inmate, reports indicate, including restraint with
handcuffs and leg shackles during the transport.

Schrock “somehow slipped one hand out of the handcuffs and used
them as a weapon against Neal during the attack,” according to a
press release from the sheriff’s office. “Schrock gained access to
Neal through a small window in the prisoner partition and
eventually was able to squeeze completely through the partition
into the front of the vehicle.”

Police said the attack on Neal was “fierce and potentially
lethal.” Schrock threatened Neal’s life “verbally and physically,”
the press release said.

Officials said Neal sprayed Schrock with pepper spray twice
during the attack. He was able to save his own life, deputies said,
by “attempting to make his firearm unusable when he feared having
it taken from him.”

It was unclear how Neal regained control and custody of
Schrock.

“It is becoming clear through our investigation that Neal was in
a fight for his own life with Schrock. His actions during the
altercation are an example of great bravery and dedication to
public safety. While it is unfortunate that a violent encounter
such as this occur at all, the professional actions of Neal, the
other assisting police agencies and the other responding fire and
EMS agencies allowed this incident to end without additional injury
to the public.

“Everyone involved should be applauded for their efforts to
de-escalate the incident and bring it to this conclusion,” the
sheriff said in the press release.

Schrock has been charged with attempted murder in the
first-degree, a Class A II felony, and aggravated assault on a
police officer, a Class B felony. More charges against Schrock are
anticipated, Buchhardt said.

Schrock was arraigned Thursday afternoon and was still being
held in the Cattaraugus County Jail in Little Valley, N.Y., as of
Thursday night.

Buchhardt said Schrock was being held prior to the incident on
criminal contempt charges for violating of a court order similar to
a PFA.