Authorities reported that K-9 officer stabbed to death by MS-13 gang members while heroically protecting a corrections officer and another inmate during an attack at a Virginia prison.
Three inmates affiliated with the MS-13 gang at Sussex I State Prison brutally attacked a fellow inmate in a housing unit Tuesday while a fourth inmate supervised, according to a release of the Virginia Department of Corrections.
Correctional Officer Kharmishia Phillip Fields and her assigned K-9 Rivan were in the area and responded to the assault.
During the confrontation that followed, the dog “was stabbed and kicked violently and repeatedly by the inmates”. He later died at the facility despite life-saving measures, VADOC said.
“Rivan’s loss is truly tragic, but it is important to remember that he did not die in vain. He lost his life and potentially saved the lives of two people, his assigned officer and an inmate. “VADOC will never forget Rivan’s sacrifice,” said VADOC Director Chad Dotson in a release.
The attacked inmate was taken to a local hospital for treatment and then returned to the prison.
Fields, a trained K-9 handler and 4-year veteran of the Department, did not suffer serious injuries thanks to his loyal partner.
The four inmates involved in the attack are from El Salvador and Guatemala and at least three are confirmed members of the deadly MS-13 gang, authorities said.
All were in the U.S. illegally at the time of their arrests and face a long list of charges including first-degree murder, attempted rape, kidnapping/abduction, malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, as well as charges of child pornography, grand theft and drug possession.
They are expected to face additional charges after Tuesday’s attack. The investigation is ongoing, according to VADOC.
“The safety of our corrections team is our agency’s top priority,” Dotson said.
“Officer Phillip Fields has the full support of the agency during this difficult time and I personally wish him the best in his recovery. “The heroic acts he displayed during this brutal assault demonstrate his bravery, his commitment to public safety, and his concern for the safety of the inmate population,” he added.
Rivan, a Belgian maline, would have turned 6 years old on April 30. He joined and was certified by VADOC in July 2019.
The dog’s father worked as a police dog for a department in southwest Virginia and his mother worked for the Secret Service.
A funeral is being organized in Rivan’s memory.
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