Deputies: Man accused in SC church shooting assaulted in jail

Deputies say Dylann Roof, charged in the shooting deaths of nine black parishioners at a Charleston church, has been assaulted by another inmate at the SC jail where he is being held.

Roof faces the death penalty for the June 2015 shooting that killed nine people, including Rev. Clementa Pinckney, at the historic black church, known as “Mother Emanuel” African Methodist Episcopal Church.

According to the report, Roof, who is now being held in solitary confinement, was let out of his cell around 7:45 AM to take a shower.

During a press conference Thursday afternoon, according to KMOV (St. Louis), Sheriff Al Cannon addressed two issues that may have played a role in how another inmate was able to get so close to Roof.

The other inmate, Dwayne Stafford, 25, now faces assault charges.

Cannon said Roof is always escorted by detention officers, but that an officer was dropping off toilet paper when the assault happened and that a second officer was taking a break, something he says is not common procedure during the time an inmate would be taking a shower.

He said the attack is a “wake-up call” that officers must maintain vigilance in an environment where inmates can turn violent in an instant.

Court records filed by prosecutors in federal court last month said Roof used eight Glock handgun magazines and fired about 80 rounds during the massacre.

Officials said earlier that 26-year-old Dwayne Stafford would face assault charges.

“There’s nothing I’m aware of, beyond the obvious speculation we all have given the nature of the situation”, he said.

Stafford is in jail for strong armed robbery and assault and for lying to police, Cannon said.

On Monday his lawyers filed a legal challenge to the USA death penalty, saying it was “arbitrary and cruel” and therefore unconstitutional.

Roof is scheduled to stand trial for murder and federal hate crime charges beginning January 17, 2017. After he was captured, Roof, who is white, told authorities he wanted to start a race war with the killings. His federal trial is set for November.

Defense attorneys have said in both state and federal courts that Roof is willing to plead guilty and serve a life term in prison if prosecutors don’t seek the death penalty.