Ohio Corrections Officer Killed On Christmas By Inmate

Andrew Lansing worked on Christmas so others could have the day off.

A prisoner beat a corrections officer to death on Christmas who was only working so that some of his coworkers at the prison could have time off for the holiday.

According to WKBN First News, Ohio corrections officer Andrew Lansing was killed after being attacked by an inmate he had a previous run-in with earlier this year in April. The alleged killer, Rashawn Cannon, was written up by Lansing when the officer wrote up a conduct report with three charges against the inmate. Those charges were disrespect, threats, and disobedience to a direct order. He was found guilty on two of the charges.

Authorities did not reveal if the prior charges against Cannon were the reason he allegedly attacked the officer at the prison, nor was it disclosed how Lansing was killed.

The 27-year-old Cannon was convicted on felonious assault charges last year and has been at the Ross County facility for over a year.

Annette Chambers-Smith, the director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, did disclose that the officer was there to work overtime so that his coworkers could have the holiday off.

“Andy Lansing elected to work voluntary overtime so that other people didn’t have to and could have Christmas off. That’s what he was doing there,” Chambers-Smith said. “Cannon’s unit was released to go to the dining hall, which is why he was on the yard. He veered away from going to the dining hall and instead went to where Officer Lansing was working and attacked him brutally.”

The incident took place at Ross Correctional Institution, a high-security facility.

Incident reports state that the brutal attack took place while Lansing was in the guard shack, which is a shelter structure on the yard portion of the prison, according to Chambers-Smith.

Chambers-Smith had nothing but good things to say about Lansing and stated that she had never heard anyone say anything negative about the corrections officer.

“Officer Lansing was pure, good and solid. He always trained new staff and was a professional. He was a father, he was a husband, and all he was trying to do was his job,” said Chambers-Smith.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating this killing.