Stillwater Inmate Gets 10 More Years After Shank Attack On Prison Sgt.

STILLWATER, MN — An inmate at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater was sentenced to 10 more years in prison after stabbing and injuring a correctional sergeant in 2020, Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson announced.

Adrian Dominique Bell, 35, was sentenced Monday to 120 months in prison on charges of first-degree assault after he stabbed a correctional sergeant with a 5 ½ inch metal shank during an altercation, according to authorities.

"Inmate assaults on correctional officers are grave offenses that undermine the safety of our prison system and will not be taken lightly," Magnuson said in a statement. "We are grateful to the Minnesota Department of Corrections and the department's Office of Special Investigations for their dedicated efforts in bringing this case forward. Together, we remain resolute in our pursuit of justice for any acts of violence committed against our dedicated correctional staff."

Bell and another inmate became "confrontational" with correctional staff over the loss of privileges on June 12, 2020, investigators said.

During the argument, the other inmate lunged at a correctional sergeant and punched him in the head, according to authorities.

Additional correctional staff immediately responded and attempted to restrain the inmate.

During the physical struggle, Bell removed a shank from his pocket, ran up to the group, and stabbed a correctional sergeant in the lower torso, investigators said.

The shank fell from Bell’s hand and both inmates were able to be detained, according to authorities.

The sergeant and two other correctional staff injured in the fight were transported to Lakeview Hospital for medical treatment. All three were treated for visible injuries, including a puncture wound to the sergeant’s lower torso, investigators said.

During the attack, Bell was serving a 161-month sentence at MCF-Stillwater for attempted first-degree murder. He completed that sentence in 2021 but was immediately transferred from the state prison to the Washington County Jail for the duration of his trial.

Bell will now be transferred from Washington County Jail back into the custody of the Minnesota Department of Corrections to serve his new sentence.