Attempted Homicide of High Desert Prison Officer Sparks Investigation

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Officials at High Desert State Prison (HDSP) are investigating an attack on a peace officer as an attempted homicide, following a violent incident in the facility earlier this week.

It happened on the morning of November 20, 2024, when incarcerated individual Deandre Howard allegedly attacked an officer in the general population patio area. According to prison authorities, Howard approached the officer and began stabbing them with a weapon he had made.

Prison staff quickly intervened, restraining Howard and escorting the officer to safety. During the chaotic moments, several staff members sustained minor injuries.

Emergency responders acted swiftly, transporting the injured officer to a local medical facility, where they were treated and later released. The homemade weapon used in the attack was recovered at the scene.

Howard, 42, suffered minor injuries in the incident and has since been transferred to a different facility, where he will remain in restricted housing. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is conducting a thorough investigation, with the case expected to be sent to the Lassen County District Attorney’s Office for potential felony charges.

Peer support services are being offered to staff to help them cope with the incident.

Howard, serving life without parole for first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, has been in and out of the corrections system since 2001, when he was initially sentenced for forging a driver’s license.