PHOTO COURTESY OR OREGON DOC
A Pendleton inmate was shot and killed this morning by a correctional officer during an assault involving three prisoners at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution (EOCI). The prison is currently on lockdown status and visitations have been canceled until further notice.
The correctional officer fired the shot from a yard tower after two inmates who were assaulting a third inmate failed to disengage. Inmate Jayson Matthew Withers was hit, transported to a local hospital, and was pronounced dead at approximately 9:21 a.m. The inmate who was being attacked was transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries. The third inmate is currently in disciplinary segregation at EOCI. No other details or names are being released until authorized by the Umatilla County District Attorney.
Withers entered prison on May 13, 2010, on three counts of second-degree, three counts of identity theft, and one count of negligent homicide out of Marion County. His earliest release date was Nov. 25, 2018.
EOCI is a medium-security prison located in Pendleton that houses approximately 1,600 men in custody. The buildings that make up EOCI were constructed in 1912 and 1913 and were originally used as a state mental hospital. After two years of renovation, EOCI received its first inmates in June 1985.
More Stories from Northeast Oregon Now:
Voters to Weigh In On Boardman Rec Center Bond
Inside Hermiston’s Secret Gardens
