RICHMOND, Va. — A federal lawsuit filed by the widow of Virginia Corrections Officer Jeremy Lewis Hall alleges that longstanding staffing shortages, ignored threats and systemic policy failures within the Virginia Department of Corrections contributed to his death at River North Correctional Center.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Hall’s widow, Dawn Hall, and current Corrections Officer Anthony Kellam, does not seek financial damages. Instead, it asks the court to order policy changes aimed at improving staff safety across VADOC facilities, WCYB reports.
Hall was killed in the line of duty on Nov. 17 after an inmate attack at River North Correctional Center.
Allegations of known risks and ignored warnings
According to the complaint, VADOC leadership was aware of “critical vacancy rates” throughout the department and the risks posed by chronic understaffing but continued normal operations without implementing additional safeguards.
The lawsuit names several defendants, including VADOC Director Chad Dotson; Chief of Correctional Operations David Robinson; River North Warden Kevin McCoy; River North Captain Kevin Allen; and Indian Creek Correctional Center Warden Dara Watson, along with 20 unnamed supervisory officials.
The filing describes Hall’s death as “foreseeable” and “preventable,” alleging it resulted from “known specific and systemic risks” at River North.
As part of the lawsuit, plaintiffs cite a resignation letter submitted by then-Lt. Jacob Murray on July 10, 2025 — four months before Hall’s death. In the letter, Murray warned leadership that staff safety was no longer a priority and wrote that River North “is headed down a dangerous path that [will] see staff severely injured, if not killed.”
Separate incident cited involving current officer
The lawsuit also outlines a December 2025 incident involving Officer Anthony Kellam, who is assigned to Indian Creek Correctional Center.
According to the complaint, Kellam observed an inmate vomiting in his cell during headcount and reported the situation to supervisors. He was allegedly instructed to continue the count and disregard the medical concern. The inmate later died that day.
The filing argues the incident reflects an unconstitutional pattern of “prioritizing routine operations and administrative metrics over immediate safety concerns.”
Policy changes sought
Rather than damages, the plaintiffs are requesting court-ordered reforms, including:
- Mandatory threat response protocols for credible threats against staff, including documentation, investigation and timely separation of inmates and targeted officers
- Minimum safe staffing requirements or equivalent safeguards for high-risk housing units
- Prohibitions on assigning unqualified personnel or trainees to dangerous posts
- Required pod searches, contraband sweeps and inmate separation when credible threats are identified
- Oversight, training, auditing and compliance mechanisms to ensure policies are followed statewide
Widow releases statement about notification failures
Dawn Hall has also released a public statement for the first time, detailing what she describes as significant communication failures following her husband’s death.
On the morning of Nov. 17, she said she received a missed call from an unknown number with no voicemail. Roughly 10 minutes later, her father-in-law called and told her there had been an incident at the prison and that she needed to go to the hospital.
She arrived at the hospital in Galax around 9:05 a.m. and was informed that lifesaving measures were still underway. At approximately 9:26 a.m., an emergency room physician told her her husband had died.
“During this critical period, no official from the Department of Corrections contacted Mrs. Hall to inform her of her husband’s injuries, their severity, or the circumstances of the incident,” the statement said.
Mrs. Hall later learned the attack occurred at approximately 7:53 a.m. — more than an hour before she arrived — and that other facilities were notified before any official attempt was made to contact her as Jeremy Hall’s listed emergency contact.
She also described learning days later that a threat had been made against her, prompting a deputy to instruct her to leave her home for safety. She said DOC officials did not contact her regarding the threat.
“This was the last time Warden McCoy initiated contact with Mrs. Hall,” the statement said.
“As a grieving widow who is not from this area and has no local support system, I was left alone by the Department of Corrections and officials at River North Correctional Center during the most traumatic period of my life,” Mrs. Hall said.
VADOC response
In a statement provided to WCYB, VADOC said it could not comment on active litigation but emphasized its commitment to officer safety.
“While the VADOC cannot comment on active litigation, our agency is committed to honoring Master Corrections Officer Jeremy Lewis Hall’s legacy of service and sacrifice in the line of duty,” the statement said. “The VADOC’s top priority is the safety of our corrections team members and those in our custody and supervision — and the security of our facilities.”
Dawn Hall said she remains grateful for the support she has received from fellow officers, their families and the community, but emphasized that recognition alone is not enough.
“This is not about monuments,” she said. “This is about how families are treated in the aftermath of tragedy — and ensuring that no other spouse learns about their loved one’s death the way I did.”
