Pa. Corrections Officer Struggling with Inmate Killed by Police Gunfire
Blair County PA Nov 19 2021
A Blair County corrections officer was killed after an inmate disarmed her in a court building, resulting in a police officer shooting her, according to state police.
The situation started at the Blair County Dispatch Center and Central Court building at 615 4th St. in Altoona, police said.
Around 3:15 p.m., the suspect, an inmate who was not identified by police on Wednesday, was in the building for a court proceeding, police said.
The suspect disarmed county corrections officer Rhonda Jean Russell, which led to a struggle, police said.
An Altoona police officer came to the area to help, shooting a firearm in an effort to stop the inmate from harming Russell, police said.
Instead, police say Russell was hit by the round. Despite life-saving measures being taken at the scene, the 47-year-old died later at UPMC Altoona.
The suspect was taken into custody and is being charged with homicide, attempted homicide, kidnapping and other related charges.
The Altoona officer involved has not been identified.
Altoona police released a statement confirming the shooting but said the investigation was handed over to Pennsylvania State Police. The investigation is ongoing.
