Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution (EOCI) transitioned from lockdown to normal operations today. Visiting will resume on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
The shooting took place when a corrections officer fired a shot to prevent “imminent serious bodily injury” to an inmate being assaulted.
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.
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.
