An inmate who tried to escape was shot in the leg outside the Rappahannock Regional Jail yesterday afternoon, said Stafford County Sheriff Charles Jett.
The inmate was being transferred back to jail in a marked sheriff's patrol car after a court hearing outside Stafford, Jett said.
As the vehicle approached the sallyport area of the jail about 2:30 p.m., Jett said, the inmate tried to escape by breaking through a protective barrier and attacking the officer, who was driving.
The deputy suffered cuts and bruises to the head and face. The deputy then shot the prisoner in the upper leg, Jett said.
During the struggle, the vehicle went up and down an embankment, striking a rock culvert and causing the air bags to deploy.
The prisoner was taken into custody with the help of jail officers.
Jail medical staff attended to both the deputy and inmate. Both later were taken to Mary Washington Hospital.
Jett said the deputy was in serious condition, but the injuries aren't life-threatening. He wasn't sure if the injuries to the inmate are life-threatening.
Detectives were still trying to piece together the incident yesterday evening.
Jett didn't release the names of the inmate or deputy. He said the deputy was from an agency in the region, but it wasn't Stafford.
The jail, located off U.S. 1 in Stafford, houses prisoners from the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania and King George, and the city of Fredericksburg.
To reach BILL FREEHLING: 540/374-5424 bfreehling@freelancestar.com