Born at Fort Breckenridge. Son of Samuel Arnold McGinnis and Gloria Hess McGinnis. He was brother to Virginia, Olive, and Samuel. Called johntom by his family, he later was known as Mac to his coworkers and friends. Survived by his wife and his daughter.
John graduated from Allan Hancock College. He served in the US Army during the Vietnam War and with the National Guard, retiring in 1987 as a staff sergeant. He was employed with the Bureau of Prisons, first as a correctional officer, & later promoted to maintenance foreman; receiving four Special Act Awards for meritorious service or bravery in the line of duty. He went to the aid of another as his last brave act.
******************
MAN DIES RUSHING TO INMATE'S AID
A Lompoc penitentiary inmate died Thursday after being stabbed repeatedly, and a prison employee rushing to help him suffered a fatal heart attack, officials said.
"It has been a trying day for all the staff", said Todd Craig, a prison information officer.
Correctional officers found inmate Steven Mejaski in his cell at 6:40 a.m., stabbed several times with what was described only as a sharpened instrument. He was pronounced dead at 7:10 a.m. by county coroner officials.
John T. McGinnis, a painter foreman at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lompoc, responded to the first report of the stabbing. He suffered a heart attack as he arrived at the cell, and did not revive under cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures, Warden J.D. Swinson, Jr. said in a press release. McGinnis was taken to Lompoc District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead after life-sustaining procedures failed. Prison officials said Mejaski was serving a 40-year sentence for armed bank robbery. He had been in the Lompoc prison since Nov. 13, 1987, and had a projected release date of Oct. 16, 2013.
The prison has been locked down while an investigation into the stabbing is conducted. Prisoners are confined to their cells, and can only leave them for basic activities such as mealtimes.
"Mr. McGinnis' selfless act of responding to a life-threatening incident was in the highest traditions of the United States Penitentiary, and the federal Bureau of Prisons, and law enforcement," Swinson said. "The staff of the United States Penitentiary mourn the loss of our fellow correction worker and friend. Our thoughts and prayers remain with his wife and family."
Craig said it was the first time since he started workng at Lompoc in 1987 that a staff member died in the line of duty. McGinnis was highly respected by his colleagues, and will be greatly missed, Craig added. McGinnis began his career with the Bureau of Prisons as a correctional offficer in 1976. He was later promoted to construction and maintenance foreman, according to Swinson. Known as "Mac"to his colleagues, McGinnis received four awards from the Bureau of Prisons for meritorious service or bravery in the line of duty.
*article dated Friday, May 7, 1993, by Leslie van de Kamp, News-Press Staff Writer, with contributing County Editor Tad Weber.
Contributed by Mr. David Hays.
bio by aye ain't.
b
John graduated from Allan Hancock College. He served in the US Army during the Vietnam War and with the National Guard, retiring in 1987 as a staff sergeant. He was employed with the Bureau of Prisons, first as a correctional officer, & later promoted to maintenance foreman; receiving four Special Act Awards for meritorious service or bravery in the line of duty. He went to the aid of another as his last brave act.
******************
MAN DIES RUSHING TO INMATE'S AID
A Lompoc penitentiary inmate died Thursday after being stabbed repeatedly, and a prison employee rushing to help him suffered a fatal heart attack, officials said.
"It has been a trying day for all the staff", said Todd Craig, a prison information officer.
Correctional officers found inmate Steven Mejaski in his cell at 6:40 a.m., stabbed several times with what was described only as a sharpened instrument. He was pronounced dead at 7:10 a.m. by county coroner officials.
John T. McGinnis, a painter foreman at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lompoc, responded to the first report of the stabbing. He suffered a heart attack as he arrived at the cell, and did not revive under cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures, Warden J.D. Swinson, Jr. said in a press release. McGinnis was taken to Lompoc District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead after life-sustaining procedures failed. Prison officials said Mejaski was serving a 40-year sentence for armed bank robbery. He had been in the Lompoc prison since Nov. 13, 1987, and had a projected release date of Oct. 16, 2013.
The prison has been locked down while an investigation into the stabbing is conducted. Prisoners are confined to their cells, and can only leave them for basic activities such as mealtimes.
"Mr. McGinnis' selfless act of responding to a life-threatening incident was in the highest traditions of the United States Penitentiary, and the federal Bureau of Prisons, and law enforcement," Swinson said. "The staff of the United States Penitentiary mourn the loss of our fellow correction worker and friend. Our thoughts and prayers remain with his wife and family."
Craig said it was the first time since he started workng at Lompoc in 1987 that a staff member died in the line of duty. McGinnis was highly respected by his colleagues, and will be greatly missed, Craig added. McGinnis began his career with the Bureau of Prisons as a correctional offficer in 1976. He was later promoted to construction and maintenance foreman, according to Swinson. Known as "Mac"to his colleagues, McGinnis received four awards from the Bureau of Prisons for meritorious service or bravery in the line of duty.
*article dated Friday, May 7, 1993, by Leslie van de Kamp, News-Press Staff Writer, with contributing County Editor Tad Weber.
Contributed by Mr. David Hays.
bio by aye ain't.
b
Born at Fort Breckenridge. Son of Samuel Arnold McGinnis and Gloria Hess McGinnis. He was brother to Virginia, Olive, and Samuel. Called johntom by his family, he later was known as Mac to his coworkers and friends. Survived by his wife and his daughter.
John graduated from Allan Hancock College. He served in the US Army during the Vietnam War and with the National Guard, retiring in 1987 as a staff sergeant. He was employed with the Bureau of Prisons, first as a correctional officer, & later promoted to maintenance foreman; receiving four Special Act Awards for meritorious service or bravery in the line of duty. He went to the aid of another as his last brave act.
******************
MAN DIES RUSHING TO INMATE'S AID
A Lompoc penitentiary inmate died Thursday after being stabbed repeatedly, and a prison employee rushing to help him suffered a fatal heart attack, officials said.
"It has been a trying day for all the staff", said Todd Craig, a prison information officer.
Correctional officers found inmate Steven Mejaski in his cell at 6:40 a.m., stabbed several times with what was described only as a sharpened instrument. He was pronounced dead at 7:10 a.m. by county coroner officials.
John T. McGinnis, a painter foreman at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lompoc, responded to the first report of the stabbing. He suffered a heart attack as he arrived at the cell, and did not revive under cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures, Warden J.D. Swinson, Jr. said in a press release. McGinnis was taken to Lompoc District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead after life-sustaining procedures failed. Prison officials said Mejaski was serving a 40-year sentence for armed bank robbery. He had been in the Lompoc prison since Nov. 13, 1987, and had a projected release date of Oct. 16, 2013.
The prison has been locked down while an investigation into the stabbing is conducted. Prisoners are confined to their cells, and can only leave them for basic activities such as mealtimes.
"Mr. McGinnis' selfless act of responding to a life-threatening incident was in the highest traditions of the United States Penitentiary, and the federal Bureau of Prisons, and law enforcement," Swinson said. "The staff of the United States Penitentiary mourn the loss of our fellow correction worker and friend. Our thoughts and prayers remain with his wife and family."
Craig said it was the first time since he started workng at Lompoc in 1987 that a staff member died in the line of duty. McGinnis was highly respected by his colleagues, and will be greatly missed, Craig added. McGinnis began his career with the Bureau of Prisons as a correctional offficer in 1976. He was later promoted to construction and maintenance foreman, according to Swinson. Known as "Mac"to his colleagues, McGinnis received four awards from the Bureau of Prisons for meritorious service or bravery in the line of duty.
*article dated Friday, May 7, 1993, by Leslie van de Kamp, News-Press Staff Writer, with contributing County Editor Tad Weber.
Contributed by Mr. David Hays.
bio by aye ain't.
b
John graduated from Allan Hancock College. He served in the US Army during the Vietnam War and with the National Guard, retiring in 1987 as a staff sergeant. He was employed with the Bureau of Prisons, first as a correctional officer, & later promoted to maintenance foreman; receiving four Special Act Awards for meritorious service or bravery in the line of duty. He went to the aid of another as his last brave act.
******************
MAN DIES RUSHING TO INMATE'S AID
A Lompoc penitentiary inmate died Thursday after being stabbed repeatedly, and a prison employee rushing to help him suffered a fatal heart attack, officials said.
"It has been a trying day for all the staff", said Todd Craig, a prison information officer.
Correctional officers found inmate Steven Mejaski in his cell at 6:40 a.m., stabbed several times with what was described only as a sharpened instrument. He was pronounced dead at 7:10 a.m. by county coroner officials.
John T. McGinnis, a painter foreman at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lompoc, responded to the first report of the stabbing. He suffered a heart attack as he arrived at the cell, and did not revive under cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures, Warden J.D. Swinson, Jr. said in a press release. McGinnis was taken to Lompoc District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead after life-sustaining procedures failed. Prison officials said Mejaski was serving a 40-year sentence for armed bank robbery. He had been in the Lompoc prison since Nov. 13, 1987, and had a projected release date of Oct. 16, 2013.
The prison has been locked down while an investigation into the stabbing is conducted. Prisoners are confined to their cells, and can only leave them for basic activities such as mealtimes.
"Mr. McGinnis' selfless act of responding to a life-threatening incident was in the highest traditions of the United States Penitentiary, and the federal Bureau of Prisons, and law enforcement," Swinson said. "The staff of the United States Penitentiary mourn the loss of our fellow correction worker and friend. Our thoughts and prayers remain with his wife and family."
Craig said it was the first time since he started workng at Lompoc in 1987 that a staff member died in the line of duty. McGinnis was highly respected by his colleagues, and will be greatly missed, Craig added. McGinnis began his career with the Bureau of Prisons as a correctional offficer in 1976. He was later promoted to construction and maintenance foreman, according to Swinson. Known as "Mac"to his colleagues, McGinnis received four awards from the Bureau of Prisons for meritorious service or bravery in the line of duty.
*article dated Friday, May 7, 1993, by Leslie van de Kamp, News-Press Staff Writer, with contributing County Editor Tad Weber.
Contributed by Mr. David Hays.
bio by aye ain't.
b
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