Correctional officer, inmate die in Pa. prison fight

Correctional officer, inmate die in Pa. prison fight
Google Maps

A brief altercation at a Luzerne Countyprison left a correctional officer and an inmate dead, officials said.

Around 6:25 p.m. Monday, the pair entered into an altercation at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Luzerne County Manager David Pedri confirmed the deaths in a news conference Monday, the Times Leader reported.

“This guard went to work today believing that he would be coming home,” Pedri said. “And, sadly that didn’t happen.”

“We will do everything in our power to ensure an incident like this never happens again,” he said.

The guard’s name is not being released, but the inmate has been identified as 27-year-old Tracy Gilliam, who was incarcerated for failing to register as a sex offender.

The Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office and Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the incident.