Andrew Lansing and Rahsawn Cannon (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction).
An inmate in prison, who was serving time for assaulting a woman with a gun, targeted and fatally attacked a guard, according to authorities in Ohio. The victim, Andrew Lansing, had chosen to work on Christmas morning at the Ross Correctional Institution so that his colleagues could have the day off.
Director Annette Chambers-Smith of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction stated, “Andy Lansing decided to take on voluntary overtime so that others could enjoy Christmas without work. That was his purpose there.” She explained that Cannon’s unit was granted permission to go to the dining hall, which is why he was outside. Instead of heading to the dining area, Cannon changed course and assaulted Officer Lansing at his work station.
It was mentioned that Lansing had filed a misconduct report against Rashawn Cannon in April for various offenses like disrespect, threats, and not following orders. Chambers-Smith added that Cannon had been found guilty of two out of the three charges.
With that said, investigators were working to determine the motive.
“Officer Lansing is a long-time, well-respected employee at Ross, and his untimely death — on Christmas Day — is heartbreaking for his family, the entire Ross Correctional Institution family, and our agency as a whole,” Chambers-Smith said in a statement. “Officer Lansing was loved by his colleagues and known to be a great support for his fellow RCI staff. He was a friendly, outgoing officer who treated everyone with respect and was always a professional. The loss of a staff person is difficult, but to lose a family member on Christmas Day at the hands of someone in our custody is a tragedy beyond comprehension. Instead of going home after his shift to be with his family on this holiday, Officer Lansing made the ultimate sacrifice, and our agency will never be the same.”
Cannon, 27, has a criminal record dating back to age 15, even robbing his own uncle at gunpoint when age 18, according to Oklahoma City Fox affiliate KOKH. When unsuccessfully seeking early release in 2020, he wrote, “One of my biggest areas that I am working on is acting off impulse cause that is what fails me every time.”
He later got out on probation but wound up back behind bars and was sentenced for the pistol-whipping incident in 2023. He was set for an expected release in 2030, records show. Authorities said he broke the woman’s nose, loosened her teeth, and split her lip.
Cannon is now charged with aggravated murder while in detention, according to Spectrum News.
Lansing’s death also intensified friction between the state’s prison system and the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association. President Christopher Mabe wrote Gov. Mike DeWine, asking him to put Chambers-Smith on administrative leave during the investigation into Lansing’s death.
He told The Columbus Dispatch that the prison was understaffed, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that they were short-staffed by as many as 40 officers as of Christmas. To attract more employees, they needed better pay to match the dangers officers face, he said.
Chambers-Smith has said that every post that was supposed to be filled that day had been filled, but acknowledged an 11% vacancy rate — about 40 open positions — among guards and staff, which was due to newly created positions for death row and security, according to Columbus NBC affiliate WCMH. Nineteen people had start dates between the report date of Sunday and Jan. 21.
