Halifax County Sheriff Wes Tripp said a motive has not yet been established in the case where John D. Hampton, an inmate serving time for first-degree kidnapping in Mitchell County, allegedly assaulted Caledonia Correctional Officer Clarence Wade with a homemade weapon.
Tripp said in a statement the officer was stabbed several times.
Wade was once a sergeant with the sheriff’s office and has been employed with the state Department of Public Safety for six years.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Keith Acree said while Wade’s injuries were serious, they are not considered to be life-threatening. He said Wade was transported to Vidant in Greenville overnight.
Tripp said Hampton, 36, was charged with assault on a government official with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.
Acree said the assault occurred around 6 p.m.
Hampton was convicted in October of 2013 to serve a 10-year, 8-month sentence. His next custody review is in October, state Department of Public Safety records show.
He has several infractions on his record including gang involvement, theft, lock tampering and sell and misuse medication, state records show.