Texas Rangers Now Involved After Detention Officer Is Brutally Murdered in Ellis County Jail

An inmate in Texas allegedly fatally attacked a detention officer on Monday afternoon as he was being escorted back to his cell.

Ellis County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Brad Norman revealed that inmate Arron Semeion Thompson, 45, assaulted Isaiah Patrick Bias, 28, who had worked for the department for six years, according to a report from the Associated Press.

“Most of the time, law enforcement officers and detention officers deal with good folks having a bad day. Occasionally, we deal with bad folks,” Norman said at a Tuesday news conference.

“I can honestly say that my staff, over the last day, has dealt with pure evil,” he noted.

The incident occurred at the Wayne McCollum Detention Center in Waxahachie, which is south of Dallas, KXAS-TV reported.

Thompson was put in jail last month and faces charges of assaulting a public servant, public intoxication, and evading arrest. His bond for the death of Bias was set at $2 million.

Norman added that the Texas Rangers, which has statewide jurisdiction, are now investigating the incident.

Thompson was isolated in his cell for 23 hours per day with an hour of recreation time, according to KXAS-TV.

Thompson choked Bias from behind, as well as struck the officer with his fist, knee, and foot.

“Detention Officer Bias walked up to the second floor of cells where Inmate Thompson’s cell was located and looked into other inmate cells nearby,” the arrest warrant affidavit recounted.

“Inmate Thompson followed Officer Bias to the second floor and struck him in the head using his right fist causing him to fall to the ground,” the document said.

Thompson then “stopped striking Officer Bias and returned to the first floor, where he sat down at a table,” after which “additional officers arrived and placed inmate Thompson in handcuffs.”

Bias received first aid until paramedics arrived. They took him to a nearby medical center where he succumbed to his injuries.

#BREAKING: The Ellis County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed a detention officer has been murderer by an inmate Monday while performing his duties. The deputy 28-year-old Isaiah Patrick Bias and was with the department. The inmate’s name is Aaron Thompson and he has been charged… pic.twitter.com/Pj5GaGFfpV

— Amelia Mugavero (@amugaverotv) December 17, 2024

Ellis County Sheriff’s Office recognized the young officer in a Facebook post two years ago, announcing that he was “recently promoted to Corporal in the Ellis County Jail.”

The statement said that Bias “continues to make our post and Agency proud.”

Norman told reporters that Bias had a robust reputation among colleagues and was devoted to his family.

“He was one of the kind of guys who if you needed help, he’d come help you,” Norman remarked at the news conference, the AP reported.

“May God bless Isaiah’s family, friends, and colleagues,” he added, per KXAS-TV.

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