PORTLAND – A Cumberland County corrections officer was treated and released from Maine Medical Center Sunday after suffering first- and second-degree burns to his face, neck and chest when an inmate threw a cup of boiling hot water at him.

At approximately 6:15 p.m., Corrections Officer Daniel Currier, after completing rounds, was at the officer’s station when police say inmate Eric Malmstrom filled a plastic cup with hot water and threw it in Currier’s face.

Malmstrom, who has had mental health issues, had made a comment to another inmate the day before about what would happen if he threw hot water in an officer’s face. Chief Deputy Kevin J. Joyce said the incident was sudden and unexpected.

“Usually there’s an interaction of some sort. This was unprovoked; just out of the blue,” Joyce said.

In 1994, the Cumberland County Jail had a hot water faucet installed for inmates to use to make commissary items like soup, hot chocolate and coffee. In that time the faucet has been used without incident until Malmstrom’s attack, according to Joyce.

Jail administrator Francine Breton informed correctional staff that the faucet has been shut off and will be removed due to the incident.

Malmstrom, who was being held on a probation violation, was restrained and removed from the general population pod area, is now in maximum security facing aggravated assault charges.

The incident remains under investigation.