STILLWATER, Minn. -- An inmate serving time for murder killed a corrections officer at the Minnesota Department of Corrections-Stillwater in Bayport on Wednesday, July 18, officials say. Officer Joseph Gomm was attacked by the lone inmate with a weapon at 1:30 p.m., according to a statement released by the Department of Corrections. Gomm was rushed to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he was pronounced dead. “The corrections family is reeling from this incident,” Corrections Commissioner Tom Roy said at a news conference. “We are not accustomed to losing staff. … This is a bad day.” Roy said he believes Gomm is the first corrections officer killed in the line of duty in Minnesota. Gomm, who celebrated his 16th anniversary at the department on Tuesday, was working in the prison’s industry building when he was attacked. This building houses areas for carpentry, welding and other work assignments for the inmates, Roy said. He did not specify where in the building the attack on Gomm took place. Corrections officers are not armed with guns, but they do carry pepper spray and radios to call for assistance, Roy said. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was on scene investigating the incident Wednesday evening. As a precaution, all prisons in the Minnesota Department of Corrections system were placed on lockdown after the attack, Roy said. Officials did not release the name of the inmate suspected in the attack, but KSTP-TV and WCCO-TV identified him as Edward Muhammad Johnson. Johnson attacked Gomm with a hammer, according to the KSTP report. Johnson, 42, is serving a 29-year sentence for the 2002 murder of his girlfriend, Brooke Elizabeth Thompson. The son of two Chicago police officers, Johnson was 12 when he witnessed his father shoot his mother six times before turning the gun on himself. Fourteen years after their murder-suicide, Johnson stabbed Thompson to death in his Bloomington apartment. Gov. Mark Dayton said he was “appalled” by Gomm’s “horrific murder.” “On behalf of all Minnesotans, I offer my deepest sympathies to Officer Gomm’s family, friends, and fellow corrections officers,” he said in a statement. “We are all indebted to the courageous corrections officers and other state employees, who risk their safety in Minnesota’s prisons to ensure the safety of their colleagues, our communities and the inmates themselves. Minnesotans are grateful for your selfless service, and we mourn with you the loss of your colleague and friend.” The Stillwater prison houses 1,616 male inmates; 527 of them are incarcerated for homicide, Roy said. A recent analysis found the Department of Corrections was understaffed and needed to add about 150 officers systemwide, Roy said. He noted that a request to the Minnesota Legislature for a staffing increase went unfulfilled last session, but he added that it was not clear whether Gomm’s death could be attributed to staffing levels. Roy said “erratic behavior is not uncommon” among inmates, and that assaults on prison staff and on other inmates occur regularly. A corrections officer at the prison was assaulted earlier this year. The nearby Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights was placed on lockdown in June after an inmate attacked a corrections officer, causing serious injuries, officials said then. In March, assaults by inmates at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights sent 10 employees to the hospital - more injuries than in the previous five years combined. “Day in and day out, our staff are doing very incredible work,” Roy said. The Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association has found no record of another corrections officer killed in the state, said Jeff Beahen, the group’s president. Corrections officers are considered public safety officers under state law, but Beahen said he doesn’t know how long that has been case, and that may have affected record-keeping about line-of-duty deaths. “Our hearts are very heavy today to know that an offender took advantage of an unarmed correctional officer while they’re in there protecting other offenders and the prison itself,” said Beahen, who is also the Rogers police chief. The last line-of-duty death in Minnesota was in September. Wayzata Officer Bill Mathews was killed when he was removing debris from a highway and he was struck by a motorist who was on drugs and texting behind the wheel.<doc-sep>A corrections officer at the Minnesota Correctional Facility — Stillwater died Wednesday after being assaulted by an inmate serving time for homicide. Joseph Gomm, a Minnesota Department of Corrections veteran, was attacked around 1:30 p.m. in a prison industry building. Gomm was rushed to Regions Hospital in St. Paul where he was later pronounced dead. Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Tom Roy talks to reporters following the assault and death of a guard at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater. Tim Pugmire | MPR News "The corrections family is reeling from this incident," Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Tom Roy told reporters. "We are not accustomed to losing staff. Officer Gomm was a fine man doing honorable work." Tuesday was Gomm's 16-year anniversary as a corrections officer, he said, adding that Gomm was survived by two family members. Roy declined to name the inmate, saying the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating. A motive for the attack hadn't been determined, he said. The inmate used a weapon in the assault but Roy declined to describe it. Guards at the prison don't carry guns unless they're responding to a crisis. Only officers in the towers and those patrolling the prison perimeter carry guns, Roy said. Inside a cell block where about 280 inmates live photographed on a media tour May 2, 2014. Jennifer Simonson | MPR News 2014 Gov. Mark Dayton in a statement offered his sympathies to Gomm's family and said he was "appalled at the horrific murder" of the corrections officer. The local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) released a statement expressing their grief. "We offer our deepest sympathy and unconditional support for his family. We also offer our deepest sympathy to all who were touched by this wonderful man," the statement read. "We ask that everyone cherish their lives every day." The Stillwater prison is the state's largest such institution for adult male felons, with about 1,600 offenders, including more than 500 in for homicide. Earlier this year, the Stillwater prison and the prison at Oak Park Heights responded to several incidents where officers were attacked by prisoners. That included 10 officers assaulted in two separate incidents at Oak Park Heights.<doc-sep>
The DOC says Corrections Officer Joseph Gomm was attacked in an industrial building at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. STILLWATER, Minn. - The Minnesota Department of Corrections says an officer was killed in an attack by an inmate at the Stillwater prison. The DOC says Corrections Officer Joseph Gomm was attacked in an industrial building at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was rushed to Regions Hospital where he was pronounced dead. "Joseph gave the ultimate sacrifice while working to protect the citizens of Minnesota. He had been with us for 16 years," an email about the incident reads. The DOC says the inmate behind the attack was serving time for homicide. Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Tom Roy said the attack involved a weapon, but did not go into further detail. “I am appalled at the horrific murder of Officer Joseph Gomm," said Governor Mark Dayton. "On behalf of all Minnesotans, I offer my deepest sympathies to Officer Gomm’s family, friends, and fellow Corrections Officers. We pray that they find strength and solace at this very difficult time. KARE 11 contacted Gomm's brother on Facebook, but he indicated the family is not yet ready to speak publicly about his death. "Joe's family is not inclined to make any statements at this time... Thank You," Gomm's brother wrote. “We are all indebted to the courageous Corrections Officers and other state employees, who risk their safety in Minnesota's prisons to ensure the safety of their colleagues, our communities, and the inmates themselves. Minnesotans are grateful for your selfless service, and we mourn with you the loss of your colleague and friend,” Dayton continued. In a news conference, Commissioner Roy said, at this time, he wants to be focused on the family and their loss. Stillwater prison currently has 1,616 offenders. Of them, 527 are doing sentences for homicide, according to Roy. "We have assaults on staff, but really, the loss of Officer Gomm is at a level that I have not seen before," Roy said.