Judges on the New York Court of Appeals sparred Monday over how the word “act,” as in action, should be defined in relation to an injured correction officer, who the court decided, in a rare split reversal, was entitled to special disability benefits over the incident.

The majority, on a 4-3 vote, ruled that a law entitled the injured officer to performance-of-duty disability retirement benefits. Chief Judge Janet DiFiore was among the three judges on the dissenting side.