INDEPENDENCE, Va. — The director of the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC), Chad Dotson, is pledging full accountability and support for staff in the aftermath of the inmate attack that killed Corrections Officer Jeremy Lewis Hall.
In a public statement, Dotson promised that justice will be pursued for Hall “thoroughly and without delay.” The statement follows the fatal assault on Nov. 17 at River North Correctional Center, where Hall, 40, was killed and two other officers were injured.
Hall had served with the VADOC since April 25, 2024.
Pledging accountability and justice
Dotson confirmed he is working closely with the Commonwealth’s Attorney, who has “pledged to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Our Office of Law Enforcement Services will be working closely with the prosecution team. We will provide every resource necessary to support the case,” Dotson stated.
Supporting staff and honoring the fallen
Dotson spent time at River North Correctional Center following the incident and said he plans to return. He praised the facility’s team for their courage and professionalism despite the tragedy.
“I was struck tonight by the fact that, despite what happened, the River North team still reported for duty to protect the commonwealth,” he said.
The director committed to providing necessary on-site resources, including peer support and leadership presence, and vowed to stand with the staff to get them “what you need.”
Dotson also honored Hall’s memory, describing him as a family man who often spoke of his wife and daughter, and who showed up for every shift “with a smile, with pride in his work.”
“We will honor Jeremy by saying his name, by caring for his family and his co-workers. And we will honor him by doing the work, together, with the courage and dignity that Jeremy Hall brought to every single shift,” Dotson concluded.
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 GoFundMeDetails leading up to the attack were not released, and the incident remains under investigation. VADOC officials indicated they will share information about honoring Hall in the coming days.
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.
