Inmate uses ‘improvised weapon’ to kill man at Sacramento-area prison, CDCR says

A Sacramento County man — serving time at California State Prison, Sacramento, for abusing his girlfriend — is accused of killing a man Monday and striking another inmate with a weapon, prison officials said.

Jason Brannigan, 47, swung an “improvised weapon” and stabbed Lamar Scott multiple times about 6:05 p.m., according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Prison guards rushed in to stop the attack and began rendering medical aid to Scott, 35. He was pronounced dead at 6:36 p.m., CDCR said.

Brannigan is also accused of injuring Santana West, 71, who is serving a life sentence for raping a person in San Francisco.

Scott came to the prison, often called New Folsom, from Contra Costa County where he was sentenced to 16 years to life for corporal injury, enhanced by an allegation he inflicted great bodily injury in a domestic violence incident and used a dangerous or deadly weapon in carrying out the assault.

Brannigan, who was sent to prison in March 2011, was sentenced to 17 years and eight months for corporal injury of a spouse, making criminal threats to cause great bodily injury and vandalism. After his conviction, Brannigan was sentenced to four years for having a deadly weapon while incarcerated at a Kern County prison.