A beloved youth counselor at Wisconsin‘s juvenile prison for boys has died after he was allegedly attacked by a teenager.
Javaris Hurd, 16, is accused of assaulting two Lincoln Hills Copper Lake School staff members – causing the death of Corey Proulx, 49, who is also a counselor for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
Hurd, who is being tried in court as an adult, is facing one count of second-degree reckless homicide, one count of felony murder – battery with special circumstances and one count of battery by prisoners.
If found guilty of all counts, the accused could be sentenced to 58 years in prison and ordered to pay $120,000 in fines.
The accused allegedly came face-to-face with Corey Proulx, 49, (pictured) who he punched twice in the face. He was declared dead by the Lincoln County Coroner by the end of the next day
Jared Hoy, the Department of Corrections secretary noted Proulx was a ‘dedicated professional and friend’
The accused reportedly threw liquid soap and then punched a woman in the face in the lower day room of the Krueger Living facility – leaving her with serious injuries on June 24.
As he made his way to courtyard, Hurd allegedly came face-to-face with Proulx, who he punched twice, according to the criminal complaint.
Reports state that the punches caused the youth counselor to fall on the ground and hit his head on the pavement which left him in an incapacitated state.
As Proulx laid on the ground, Hurd went on to climb up the basketball hoop and sit on the hoop overseeing the courtyard.
Officials at the scene had Proulx airlifted to Aspirus Wausau Hospital and the woman transported to Aspirus Merrill Hospital for treatment.
But due to the severity of his injuries, Proulx was declared brain-dead by the Lincoln County Coroner on June 25.
ABC News reports that the victim succumbed to his injuries and died that day, per the Department of Corrections.
The female victim was treated and later released from the hospital.
Javaris Hurd, 16, is accused of assaulting two Lincoln Hills Copper Lake School staff members
The victim’s fiancée and daughter also described him as ‘an amazing partner, father, son and human being’
During questioning, Hurd told detectives that he had built up aggression towards the female staff member as he believed that she was abusing her power and treating him unfairly.
The juvenile reportedly said that he had planned to attack her and asked another youth to obtain the cup of soap from staff for him to throw.
Jared Hoy, the Department of Corrections secretary noted Proulx was a ‘dedicated professional and friend.’
‘It is with tremendous sadness and regret that I announce the loss of a dedicated professional, colleague, and friend in the line of duty,’ said Jared Hoy, Department of Corrections (DOC) secretary.
‘A career in corrections, with its dual mission to protect the public and guide individuals toward rehabilitation, can be demanding and requires so many sacrifices for our staff and our families, and Corey made the ultimate sacrifice. Our DOC family is mourning Corey’s loss, and we are keeping all of his family members and friends in our thoughts,’ he said in a news release.
He was initially declared just brain dead but later succumbed to his injuries and died, per the Department of Corrections
The Lincoln Hills School for boys is juvenile correctional institutions in Wisconsin and is administered through the Department of Corrections as well as the Division of Juvenile Corrections
The victim’s fiancée and daughter also described him as ‘an amazing partner, father, son and human being.’
Lincoln Hills School Superintendent Klint Trevino also remembered Prolux: ‘Corey was a dedicated and compassionate member of our team, always striving to make a positive impact on the lives of the young individuals we serve.
‘His commitment to our mission was unwavering and he will be deeply missed by all of us.’
Hurd is currently being held in Lincoln County Jail on $100,000 cash bond and was been ordered yesterday to have no contact with the victims, their family members, their place of employment or education.
He has also been told to not contact any school staff.
The Lincoln Hills School for boys is a juvenile correctional institutions in Wisconsin and is administered through the Department of Corrections as well as the Division of Juvenile Corrections.
