About the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation

As Senior Correctional Officer Scott Riner arrived for his shift in the early morning (5:15 am) of December 13th to the Gwinnet County Correctional Complex’s employee parking lot and was preparing to depart his vehicle, he immediately became aware of a suspicious person approaching the passenger front side of his vehicle. Officer Riner exited his vehicle and stepped towards the rear of his vehicle, questioning the suspicious person, when the offender produced a handgun and shot Officer Riner. Officer Riner fell to the ground, the offender ran to where Officer Riner was on the ground and fired a second, fatal, up-close gunshot, killing Officer Riner. The Offender then circled back around and appeared to do a final check of Officer Riner as he laid on the ground before running off. Moments prior to the arrival of Officer Riner in the employee parking lot it was observed on institution security cameras the offender walking into the prison’s employee parking lot and utilizing staff vehicles to obscure his approach as he maneuvered towards Officer Riner. The offender fled the scene but was arrested three days later and charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. The investigation revealed that the offender had been in the area for an extended period of time before attacking and killing Officer Riner.

Deputy Sheriff Daniel Kin was transporting an inmate in a Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office Transport Van, when the transport van was struck on the driver side door by another vehicle that failed to yield at an intersection.

Deputy Sheriff Kin suffered major injuries, was flown via med-flight to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.

Deputy Sheriff Daniel Kin had served the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office for one year and previously served with the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office for three years.

On August 16, 2022, Detention Corporal Gregory Horne was participating in POPAT (Police Officer Physical Abilities Test) training at the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office Training Center. When Corporal Gregory Horne finished his second set of bag rolls, he headed towards the four foot fence jump. Corporal Horne cleared the fence without any issues, however he landed awkwardly and stumbled before going onto the two foot low crawl. Corporal Horne went onto finish the remainder of the course. After returning from a 30-minute break, Corporal Horne advised the Training Sergeant he had injured his knee during the fence jump and was in pain, he was advised to sit out the remainder of the class. Once Corporal Horne got home, he went to the hospital due to increased pain. At the hospital he was treated for acute pain in his right knee, ankle, and a closed fracture of the right tibial plateau (a break of the larger lower leg bone below the knee that breaks into the knee joint itself).
Detention Corporal Horne was sent home on crutches and placed on light duty (desk only), was told no movement, and required to use crutches only. He was medically cleared to work in a sitting position at a desk only. On September 25th, 2022, Detention Corporal Gregory Horne suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism which was determined to be a complication from his injury, he had not been released to begin physical therapy at the time of his death.

Detention Corporal Gregory Horne Sr. served the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office for seven years.

On June 22, 2022, Detention Officer Jeremiah Story was shot and killed while processing a subject into the Perry County Detention Center who had been arrested for driving while intoxicated. Officer Story and a trustee took the subject into the restroom to supervise as the subject changed into jail-issued clothing. The subject became combative and scuffled with Officer Story. The subject then pulled out a small caliber handgun from between his legs and shot Detention Officer Jeremiah Story in the chest. Two other deputies ran into the restroom and tried to stop the subject with a stun gun, striking him twice, but it had no effect on the subject. The Deputies were able to gain control of the subject. It was later determined the handgun had jammed and is the reason the subject was only able to fire one shot. Detention Officer Jeremiah Story was transported to the hospital where he died from his injuries a few hours later.

Detention Officer Jeremiah Story had served the Perry County Sheriff’s Office for two years.

On February 28, 2022, Sergeant Joshua Caudell who was part of the department’s K-9 tracking team, was shot, and killed while assisting the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office with a canine track. Deputies were responding to a home to perform a welfare check on a woman who failed to show up at work and was thought to possibly being held against her will. The residence was of a known felon on state-supervised probation. Once the deputies arrived at the home, shots were fired from inside the home. After a brief standoff, deputies made entry and determined the suspect had slipped out, and the home was empty. The Sheriff’s office requested assistance from the Department of Corrections to conduct a canine track. A four-person team was deployed including Sergeant Caudell and his canine partner. As they searched the area, Sergeant Caudell and another officer came upon a modular home with what appeared to have a disturbed underpinning. As Sergeant Caudell and the officer pulled the underpinning back to investigate, a shot rang out, and Sergeant Caudell went down from a single gunshot wound to the chest. Sergeant Caudell was pulled from the scene and transported to an area hospital where he later died. The man fled but was captured the following day. The woman was later found safe.

Sergeant Joshua Caudell had served the Arkansas Department of Corrections for nine years.

On February 3, 2022, Correctional Officer Helen Smith responded to a disturbance in a dorm among several inmates. Upon arrival Officer Smith addressed an inmate who was trying to exit the dorm as he was corralled at the slider by several other inmates. Officer Smith called for the slider to open and the inmate came out of the dorm, picked up an unknown item off the floor, then attempted to reenter the dorm. Officer Smith pulled the inmate out of the dorm. The inmate became combative. A Sgt arrived to assist, pepper spray was dispersed, Officer Smith was able to handcuff the combative inmate. The inmate was removed from the dorm and put in restraints and the dorm was placed in lockdown. Immediately Officer Smith started to hyperventilate, and medical staff began to attend to her. Officer Smith continued to struggle to breathe. Outside medical was called and once EMT’s arrived Officer Smith was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead from an apparent heart attack approximately two hours after the initial incident began. Correctional Officer Helen Smith served the North Carolina Department of Public Safety for three years.

Deputy Jailer Robert Daniel was killed when a large tornado struck the building where he was supervising seven inmates that were participating in the work release program at the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory.

A large tornado that had tracked over two hundred miles and across multiple states struck the city of Mayfield. Deputy Daniel was guiding the inmates and over 100 employees into a shelter ahead of himself, when the roof collapsed, killing Deputy Daniel and eight other employees. Without the risks that Deputy Daniel took to save the lives of others, the seven inmates and more employees from the factory would have been killed.

Deputy Jailer Robert Daniel had served the Graves County Jail for 10 years.

Corrections Officer Rhonda Russell was shot and killed after a struggle with an inmate at the holding area of the Central Court building. A male inmate attacked and disarmed Officer Russell while waiting for a court hearing. An officer who was in the court building saw the altercation between Officer Russell and the inmate. The inmate had restrained Officer Russell, shots were fired at the suspect, but inadvertently struck Officer Russell. She was transported to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

Officer Rhonda Russell had served 16 years with the Blair County Prison.

On September 3rd, 2016, an assailant entered the Fresno County Jail lobby and pushed his way to the front of the line and stated he wanted to see someone at the jail. He was acting erratically and when confronted the assailant pulled out a gun and started shooting at Officers. Officer Toamalama Scanlan, responding to the commotion came around the corner and was shot in the head and neck. The assailant retreated to a hallway before surrendering to Officers and was arrested. Officer Scanlan was transported to the hospital in critical condition and underwent emergency surgery, and had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Officer Scanlan never recovered from his traumatic brain injury. For the next five years he underwent multiple surgeries and treatments. He was sent to a specialty program in Houston, Texas but was eventually transferred back to a hospital in Southern California. Officer Scanlan was never able to return home to his family and succumbed to complications from the injury on October 12, 2021.

Correctional Officer IV Toamalama Scanlan had served the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office for 10 years prior to being wounded and had served the Fresno County Probation office for eight years prior to joining the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

On Friday, April 30th, violence broke out inside a classroom between several teenage youth offenders at the Los Angeles County’s Central Juvenile Hall. As staff responded to calm the situation, several of the offenders pushed their way out of the classroom and onto the recreation yard. Detention Services Officers, including DSO Michael Wall, ran into the yard after the offenders. While chasing after the offenders, DSO Wall suddenly collapsed. Another Officer immediately began CPR. Detention Officer Wall was taken to the hospital, underwent emergency heart surgery but passed away during surgery.

Detention Services Officer Michael Wall had served the LA County Probation Department for 14 years.

On April 6th, an inmate at the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division was being moved to suicide watch after making comments he was going to hurt himself. Deputy Christopher Knight was among those escorting the inmate to an observation cell when the inmate became combative and started fighting with the deputies. During the altercation, the inmate stabbed Deputy Knight twice. Once the inmate was restrained by responding staff, Deputy Christopher Knight was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Deputy Sheriff Christopher Knight had served the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office for three years.

Corporal Kyle Davis died after being assaulted inside of the Washington County Detention Center while booking a prisoner. Seventeen detainees had been arrested as part of a large multi-agency narcotics investigation and were being booked into the jail. One of the detainees began to struggle with officers. During the altercation, the detainee assaulted and struck Corporal Davis in the chest with such force, causing him to suffer a ruptured aorta. Corporal Davis was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Corporal Kyle Davis had served the Washington County Detention Center for 13 years.