Inmate attacks San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputy with knife

An inmate at the San Bernardino County Jail attempted to stab another inmate and a deputy sheriff with a knife he made while in custody, authorities said Friday.

On Tuesday around 2:45 p.m., Christopher Lommie Jackson attempted to stab a 28-year-old inmate at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga with a prison-made metal knife, a sheriff’s news release said.

When officers arrived at the men’s holding cell, Jackson allegedly attempted to stab a 45-year-old officer and knocked him to the ground, the sheriff’s department said. Other officers intervened to stop the attack.

Sheriff’s Department video footage shows a man named Jackson approaching the deputy with a knife and pulling him to the ground. The two struggle until they are separated by other deputies.

The deputy, whose identity was not released, was hospitalized for moderate facial injuries and released, authorities said. It is unclear whether the other inmate was injured in the alleged attack.

Jackson, a 25-year-old San Bernardino resident, has been in custody since 2019 after accepting a plea deal in connection with a murder case, court records show. He was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. Jackson is charged with attempted murder in response to the alleged attack, officials said.

“Such violent behavior poses a serious threat to the safety of our staff and inmates,” San Bernardino Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in the press release.