A police dog was stabbed and killed protecting an officer during an attack by MS-13 gang members at a state prison in Virginia, officials said on Wednesday.
“The K-9, named Rivan, was accompanying corrections officer Kharmishia Phillip Fields on Tuesday when three inmates at Sussex I State Prison attacked another inmate,” CBS News reported. “The three attacking inmates are affiliated with the MS-13 gang, the Virginia Department of Corrections [VADOC] said, and appeared to be supervised by another inmate.”
Officials said inmates “violently and repeatedly stabbed and kicked” Rivan while he and Phillip Fields worked to “protect the inmates and restore order.”
Rivan ultimately died from his injuries at the facility despite efforts to save him, the Department of Corrections said. The dog was five years old and set to turn six at the end of April, according to the report. He had been a part of the K-9 unit since 2019. Officials said they will hold a memorial service for the dog.
Phillip Fields was not seriously injured because of her training and “Rivan’s courageous actions,” officials said.
The inmate who was attacked was treated for injuries at a hospital and transported back to the prison, according to the report.
“The safety of our corrections team is our agency’s top priority,” VADOC Director Chad Dotson said in a statement:
Officer Phillip Fields has the agency’s full support during this difficult time and I personally wish her well in her recovery. … The loss of Rivan is truly tragic, but it is important to remember he did not die in vain. He lost his life while potentially saving the lives of two people, his assigned Officer and an inmate. The VADOC will never forget Rivan’s sacrifice.
While officials did not name the inmates involved, they said they are from El Salvador and Guatemala and were in the United States illegally at the time of their arrests and convictions. Officials said the inmates were incarcerated for charges that included first-degree homicide, attempted rape, kidnapping, and child pornography. Three out of four of them are known members of MS-13, officials said.
Officials said the corrections department is planning to “pursue prosecution” of those involved in the prison attack and said the investigation is ongoing.
