ROSS COUNTY — The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction released new information on the events leading up to the death of corrections officer Andrew Lansing, originally reported by our news partner WBNS Cincinnati.
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The incident happened on Christmas morning at the Ross Correctional Institution. Officials said Lansing died following an “inmate assault” at the high-security prison in Ross County.
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In a press conference Friday, ODRC Director Annette Chambers-Smith said that Lansing, a father and husband, had volunteered to work overtime on Christmas.
“All he was trying to do was his job, and he was doing it very well,” Chambers-Smith said.
Chamber-Smith said the attack occurred when Cannon and his unit were heading to the dining hall. She said Cannon veered off from his group to find Lansing in his guard shack in the middle of the prison yard.
Chambers-Smith said the building is not a locked structure and it is her understanding that no weapons were used in the attack.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol identified the inmate involved as Rashawn Cannon, who was incarcerated on felonious assault and weapon under disability charges. He was transferred to the Southern Ohio Correctional Institution while the incident was under investigation.
Chambers-Smith said that Lansing had written a conduct report on Cannon in April regarding bad behavior. The report had three charges on it: disrespect, threats and disobedience of direct order. Cannon was found guilty of two of those charges brought against him.
No additional details on the conduct report were released.
The ODRC director called Cannon “pure evil.” She also called the attack on the officer “brutal.”
“The loss of a staff person is difficult, but to lose a family member on Christmas Day at the hands of someone in our custody is a tragedy beyond comprehension,” Chambers-Smith said in a statement posted on the department’s Facebook page. “Instead of going home after his shift to be with his family on this holiday, Officer Lansing made the ultimate sacrifice, and our agency will never be the same.”
In response to the tragedy, the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association has demanded action to address officer safety and sent a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine.
“This devastating incident underscores a systemic failure in leadership that cannot go unaddressed. To ensure the integrity of the investigation and restore confidence in the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC), I demand that Director Annette Chambers, the Warden at Ross Correctional Institution, and any other individuals in management directly responsible for oversight at this facility be immediately placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” union President Christopher Mabe wrote in the letter.
When asked if she had any comments on the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association requesting that Chambers-Smith and the warden be placed on administrative leave during the investigation, the director said: “I understand anger. I understand the need to make sure that this never happens again for anyone who works here. I understand the union’s position.”
Chambers- Smith confirmed the union’s claim that the prison is short about 40 positions but said many of the openings are due to extra positions recently created.
“This idea that there is just no staffing in the prison is just not true,” she said.
She said staffing was not an issue on Christmas.
“Every post that was supposed to be filled that day was filled. How it compares to a normal day, I don’t have that level of detail. But, I can tell you I have been in contact with the warden regarding this matter and he let me know they started with all the staff they were supposed to have and that is because I think it was like eight people volunteered to work overtime. They did not have people mandatorily working overtime that day. They volunteered,” Chambers-Smith said.
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