A detention officer in Texas' Ellis County was killed Monday in an attack by an inmate the sheriff describes as a "heinous, horrific, purposeful murder."
In a press release, officials with the sheriff's office said a detention officer working at the Wayne McCollum Detention Center was "murdered" by an inmate at approximately 3:45 p.m.
The Ellis County Sheriff's Office held a press conference on Tuesday to provide updates about the death of 28-year-old detention officer Isaiah Bias, who had been with the sheriff's office for six years.
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"Most of the time, law enforcement officers and detention officers deal with good folks having a bad day. Occasionally, we deal with bad folks," said Ellis County Sheriff Brad Norman. "I can honestly say that my staff, over the last day, has dealt with pure evil. May God bless Isaiah's family, friends and colleagues."
The sheriff's office said 45-year-old inmate Arron Semeion Thompson was being held on three charges of assaulting a public servant and evading arrest and was kept isolated in his cell for 23 hours a day with one hour of recreation time.
Norman said as Bias directed Thompson back to his cell, he was viciously attacked by the inmate.
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An arrest warrant affidavit provided by the Ellis County District Attorney's Office Tuesday afternoon sheds more light on what happened.
Bias was on the last part of his 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. shift at the Ellis County Wayne McCollum Detention Center.
Video recordings from inside the jail inside the area called "F-Tank" showed at 3:33 p.m., Bias "verbally contacted inmate Arron Thompson who was seated at a table in F-Tank." The document goes on to state that Bias learned Thompson was assigned to one-hour recreation time outside his jail cell.
"Detention Officer Bias walked up to the second floor of cells where Inmate Thompson's cell was located and looked into other inmate cells nearby. At 3:34 p.m. inmate Thompson followed Officer Bias to the second floor and struck him in the head using his right fist causing him to fall to the ground," explained the arrest warrant affidavit. "Thompson started choking Officer Bias from behind."
The document goes on to state Thompson kept hitting the officer with this fist, knee and foot.
According to the affidavit, "Thompson stopped striking Officer Bias and returned to the first floor, where he sat down at a table. Additional officers arrived and placed inmate Thompson in handcuffs."
Staff provided Bias with first aid until paramedics transported him to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Waxahachie, where he later died.
"It was a heinous, horrific, purposeful murder that was senseless and not needed," Norman said.
Norman described Bias as "an outstanding person" who was killed while doing his daily job but said he was unable to go into further detail about the attack due to the ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers.
Norman said Bias had worked for the sheriff's office for about six years and that when he was 14, he joined the department's Explorer program, which allowed youth between the ages of 14 and 21 seeking a career in law enforcement to work with the agency, ride with deputies, compete in competitions and receive hands-on training. Norman said Bias spent about two years working with the Explorer's program before becoming a full-fledged detention officer in 2019.
In a Facebook post in 2022, the department recognized Bias in a ceremony where he was promoted to corporal.
Norman said Thompson was charged with capital murder for the officer's death, and an additional bond of $2 million was set, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. After the assault, Norman said Thompson was transferred to a different jail.
The sheriff said he supported the death penalty in Thompson's case but added that it was up to the Ellis County District Attorney's Office to decide if they would seek it. Those convicted of capital murder in Texas face a punishment of either life in prison without parole or death.
The sheriff’s office says there are 133 jailers and 137 deputies in the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office.
Thompson's family tells NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that Thompson was arrested while having a mental health episode.
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth hasn't been able to review arrest documents or other records concerning Thompson's mental health.
"The police had been to the house several times," said Tabitha Pennon, a cousin of Thompson. "And even taken him to Parkland [Hospital] to the psych ward."
Family members said before his health deteriorated, Thompson was well-known in Ennis as a rapper.
They said he went downhill after having a brain tumor removed during a prior stay in prison.
"And people are going to look at him as an inmate, as a criminal, when really he just needed some help that only a professional could give him," said Teri Williams, a cousin of Thompson. "Only someone that can prescribe medication can give him, not a correctional officer."
The family told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that they believed the attack on Officer Bias wouldn't have happened if Thompson had the mental health care he needed.
"What Aaron did was totally, totally brutal, I hurt for that family," said Pennon. "But I also know that somewhere it could have been prevented."
Officer Bias' family told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth it was too soon for them to speak about the loss of their loved one.
