“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,” department director Annette 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,” Chambers-Smith said.
No details about the alleged assault or the inmate were immediately released. The prison was said to be “operating under restricted movement” and the Ohio State Highway Patrol was investigating.
"The inmate suspect has been transferred to the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility,” the department said.
Lansing was described as “a longtime, well-respected employee” at the prison who “was loved by his colleagues.”
“He was a friendly, outgoing officer who treated everyone with respect and was always a professional,” the department said.