Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Ohio
End of Watch: Tuesday, July 24, 1973
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 11 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 24, 1973
Weapon Used: Handgun; .25 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Correctional Officer Arthur Sprouse was shot and killed by an inmate who was able to obtain a firearm at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville.
The inmate then held three guards hostage for more than an hour. When guards rushed the suspect and subdued him, Officer Gary Underwood was accidentally shot and killed by one of the guards.
A guard who had recently been fired was charged with smuggling the gun to the inmate. The 24-year-old inmate, who was serving a life sentence for a 1970 murder, received another life sentence on August 15th, 1973, when convicted of murdering Officer Sprouse. He will be eligible for parole on July 1, 2029.
Office Sprouse had served with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for 11 months. He was survived by his wife and five children.