INDEPENDENCE, Va. — A corrections officer died following an attack by an inmate, the Virginia Department of Corrections said in a news release.
The attack happened just before 8 a.m. on Nov. 17 at River North Correctional Center. Corrections Officer Jeremy Lewis Hall, 40, was fatally injured during the attack, VADOC said. Hall had served with the VADOC since April 25, 2024.
“Our agency, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and corrections professionals around the nation join us in mourning the loss of Officer Hall,” VADOC Director Chad Dotson said in a statement. “Our hearts continue to be with Officer Hall’s family, friends and his fellow public safety heroes at River North.”
Two additional officers were treated at a local hospital and have since been released.
The inmate involved in the attack was identified as John Holomon Russell, 32, according to VADOC.
Russell is currently serving an 11-year, 11-month active sentence for a combination of convictions, including a 2017 carjacking and firearm offense in Fairfax County, and a 2016 shoplifting case in Albemarle County, VADOC said. His sentence includes 7 years for the carjacking, 3 years for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and 1 year and 11 months for the shoplifting conviction.
Details leading up to the attack were not released. The incident remains under investigation.
Support the family of Officer Jeremy Hall
A GoFundMe campaign has been created to support the family of Corrections Officer Jeremy Lewis Hall following his line-of-duty death at River North Correctional Center. Donations will help his family as they navigate this devastating loss.
Donate to the GoFundMeThis article, originally published at 11:18 a.m., has been updated with the identity of the fallen officer and the inmate involved.
