On Friday evening, a Corrections Officer was seriously assaulted by an inmate at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center. While standing her post, Corrections Officer Hannah Suite was approached by inmate Kamisha Raquel Thomas (30 year old female) who threw a cup of liquid at C/O Suite and then suddenly and violently attacked the Corrections Officer. Inmate Thomas repeatedly struck C/O Suite in the face and head in an attempt to gain a position of advantage. C/O Suite was able to summons help using her radio as she was blocking the repeated blows from the inmate. At that time, several females incarcerated in the unit came to the aid of the Corrections Officer and were able to help stop the assault. C/O Suite was transported to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital where she was treated for several abrasions, a laceration to her left eyebrow, hematomas, and the possibility of a concussion. Saturday afternoon, Sheriff Steve Hall visited Corrections Officer Suite at her house and awarded her the Sheriff’s Office Purple Heart Medal. Sheriff Hall remarked, “Our Corrections Staff are an integral part of the Sheriff’s Office. Day in and day out, they deal with those incarcerated at our Detention and Rehabilitation Center. They are the “silent line” of security - you rarely see them, but they are working 24/7 to protect the community. This was a brutal assault on a Corrections Officer, and we are thankful that Hannah did not receive life threatening injuries. I am very proud of the way she stood her ground and St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office 23150 Leonard Hall Drive Leonardtown, MD 20650 (301) 475 – 4040 refused to give up until help could arrive.” Sheriff Hall added, “I am grateful for the inmates who came to the aid of the Corrections Officer; it’s a testament to the respect the inmates had for C/O Suite and that there is a lot of good within the detention center. This incident illustrates what Corrections Officers deal with on a daily basis - the worst and the best of human behavior.” Inmate Thomas was charged with 1st Degree Assault, 2nd Degree Assault, 1st Degree Assault on a DOC employee and 2nd Degree Assault on a DOC employee.