PENDELTON, Ind. — A Madison County jury has convicted a former Pendleton Correctional Facility inmate of attempted murder for a violent 2023 attack on a corrections officer.
James Phillips, 47, was found guilty on Dec. 4 following a two-day trial, the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office said. At the time of the assault, Phillips was serving a 55-year sentence for murder. He is now housed at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility.
The attack happened on Oct. 6, 2023, when Phillips approached a jail officer and began attempting to stab him with a knife, WISH reports. Security footage captured Phillips striking the officer multiple times and placing him in a chokehold before the jailer was able to knock the weapon away and restrain him.
The officer was taken to IU Methodist Hospital with cuts, scratches and bruising to his arms, hands, head, neck and face, according to court documents. A second officer who stepped in to help reported a sharp pain in his shoulder and a scratch on his head after Phillips attempted to stab him as well.
In addition to attempted murder, Phillips was found guilty of possessing a deadly weapon as a prisoner, along with a habitual offender enhancement.
Phillips is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 9. Prosecutors say he faces an additional 28 to 60 years in prison.
