State Prison employee will not survive physical altercation with inmate

MICHIGAN CITY — An Indiana State Prison employee will not survive injuries he sustained after being attacked by an inmate.

According to Indiana State Police, Jeremy Davidson, 39, was working in the steel shop of the prison when he began arguing with Mike Keel.

Keel was a supervisor and maintenance foreman at Indiana State Prison.

The disagreement turned physical when Davidson hit Keel in the head with a steel pipe.

The altercation occurred at the Michigan City facility. Keel was flown to a South Bend hospital where he was originally reported to be in critical condition.

According to police, Keel will not survive the injuries he sustained.

“We are keeping Mike’s wife, Jennifer, and his entire family in our thoughts. Please stay tuned for funeral arrangements in the coming days,” Indiana State Prison said in a social media post. “To all of our staff: take care of yourselves and each other. And remember, we are all in this together.”

Davidson has about 170 years left on his current sentence for child molestation convictions, according to police. Following the incident, he was transported to another facility.

Keel recently celebrated his 29-year-anniversary with the Department of Correction. According to the prison, he will join the Fallen Staff Memorial bell later this year.