Why are flags in Ohio at half-staff?
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Gov. Mike DeWine ordered flags to be flown at half-staff Thursday morning in honor of a Ross County correction officer who was killed by an inmate on Christmas Day.
DeWine ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio be lowered in honor of the life and service of Officer Andrew Lansing, who died Wednesday morning after being assaulted by an inmate at the Ross County Correctional Institution.
Per DeWine's orders, all flags flown at public buildings and grounds throughout Ross County and at the Ohio Statehouse will be lowered. DeWine also asked flags to be flown at half-staff at the Vern Riffe Center, Rhodes Tower and all Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) facilities until sunset on the day of Lansing's funeral.
“Officer Lansing was loved by his colleagues and known to be a great support for his fellow RCI staff,” wrote Annette Chambers-Smith, ODRC's director. “He was a friendly, outgoing officer who treated everyone with respect and was always a professional."
Lansing, 62, had served with the department for over 20 years.