CLALLAM BAY — An inmate serving 45 years for murder at Clallam Bay Corrections Center was shot to death by a prison guard as he tried to escape on a forklift just after 10 this morning.
Kevin Newland, 25, was shot when he drove the forklift through the doors of the work area and into the perimeter fences, Department of Corrections spokesman Chad Lewis said.
A correctional officer fired one shot at Newland, killing him, Lewis said.
Newland was serving a 45-year sentence for first-degree murder in Spokane County. He would have been eligible for release in 2049, according to the state.
At the same time, Dominick Maldonado, 25, took a correctional officer hostage in the industries area of the prison by using a pair of scissors, Lewis said.
Officials didn’t say how Maldonado was recaptured or whether he was injured. The officer who was taken hostage had minor injuries, they said.
Maldonado is serving a 163-year sentence for numerous charges related to the Tacoma Mall shootings in 2005 (see box at right).
All inmates are in their cells while the prison is under lockdown, and will remain on so while local law enforcement conducts an investigation, Lewis said.
The prison has accounted for all inmates.
Multiple law enforcement agencies from Clallam County responded to assist at the facility.
Clallam Bay Corrections Center, opened about 25 years ago, houses 858 medium-, close- and maximum-custody offenders.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
