Protect William Tanner – Demand Emergency Action

By: UPROAR Admin · September 19, 2025

Protect William Tanner – Brutally assaulted at Red Onion after signalling class action — On **Sept 16, 2025**, William Tanner (#1192624) was slammed face-first at **Red Onion State Prison** after standing to witness officers assaulting fellow prisoner **Dewaune Lane Jr.**. Just 12 days earlier, he had signaled to UPROAR that he and others were preparing a class-action lawsuit against VADOC’s coercive “Safety Agreement.”
**Take action: bit.ly/red-onion-retaliation**

ℹ️ How this campaign page works to protect William Tanner

This campaign is part of UPROAR — Uniting Prisoners’ Relatives Organizing Against Repression, sparked by Kevin “Rashid” Johnson’s 2024 call to organize a prisoner support network composed of prisoners’ loved ones . We organize loved ones, create receipts, and force officials to respond. Each complaint, call, and email documents abuse, notifies authorities, and proves when they fail to act.

Read the case summary above for Tanner’s situation and demands.
Follow the steps in order:
- Step 1: File the OSIG Ombudsman complaint (conditions, retaliation, use of force).
- Step 2: File the OSIG Healthcare Compliance Unit complaint (medical neglect, quality of care).
- Step 3: Send the one-click email to VADOC leadership, regional operations, and oversight.
- Step 4: Use the ActionNetwork letter to link Tanner’s case with the wider Virginia prison crisis.
- Step 5: Call officials directly. Use the numbers + short script—voicemail counts.
- Step 6: Report what you did in the encrypted form so we can track pressure and coordinate follow-up.
Share this campaign under “Ongoing Campaigns” to amplify and strengthen the movement

Privacy & safety: You may submit OSIG complaints with minimal personal information or anonymously. All complaint text and scripts are copy-ready—just follow the steps in order to add to the collective pressure.

UPROAR is always seeking more loved ones—and devoted, accountable people inside and outside—who can coordinate, support families, and help develop strategies of protest, exposure, and resistance. Join us here.

📄 ACLU Letter 📑 Ombudsman Form 🏥 Healthcare Compliance (HCU) ✉️ One-Click Email 📧 ActionNetwork Letter 📞 Call Script ✅ Report Your Action

📎 Outside Validation: ACLU of Virginia Letter (Feb 26, 2025)

The ACLU of Virginia sent a formal demand letter to VADOC Director Chadwick Dotson explaining why the so-called “Safety Agreement” is unconstitutional, retaliatory, and harmful — including power cutoffs for people who refuse to sign and punishments outside due process.

📄 Read the ACLU demand letter (PDF)

Protect William Tanner after his reported Sept 16 assault at Red Onion State Prison, where he was slammed face-first after signaling a class action.

William Tanner is 37, has served 20 years since age 17, and is eligible for parole due to Montgomery v. Louisiana. He is currently in Red Onion State Prison, C-Building, Pod C-0 (long-term segregation, second stint).

On September 4, 2025, Tanner signaled to UPROAR that he and others were seeking a class-action lawsuit concerning the coercive “Safety Agreement.” Less than two weeks later, on September 16, he was falsely accused of flooding and put on strip status that morning (part of a new collective punishment regime announced Sept 1). Around 11:30 a.m. (lunchtime), when officers were assaulting Dewaune (DeJuan) Lane Jr. nearby, Tanner simply stood to get a better look—at which point CO Boggs slammed him face-first onto a table, in the presence of Sgt. Brown and Lt. Burke. Tanner reports stitches above his left eyebrow, both eyes swollen with blood/pus, impaired vision, no x-rays, and no hospital transfer. He filed an emergency grievance; medical neglect is ongoing.

This escalation mirrors the ACLU-VA’s findings that VADOC’s “Safety Agreement” scheme is coercive and unlawful — including power shutoffs and punishments outside due process for those who refuse to sign. See the ACLU letter above for details.

🧩 Pattern: “Safety Agreement” + Collective Punishment

In C-Building, a coercive “Safety Agreement” and collective punishment work hand-in-hand. People are told to police one another’s behavior— but the moment genuine concern interferes with staff abuse (e.g., refusing to kneel in toilet water, or standing to witness an assault), retaliation escalates. This contradiction (enforced peer pressure vs. punishment for protective concern) helps explain why resistance to the “Safety Agreement” is repeatedly met with violence and power shutoffs.

📍 Tanner is in C-0, directly next to C-1—where the same policy has produced kiosk outages and power retaliation. See the related C-1 campaign: 📵 Red Onion Kiosk Outage (C-1)

We demand that Virginia DOC and Red Onion officials:

🏥 Provide immediate hospital-level medical care (imaging & treatment) for Tanner’s eye/head injuries.
⚖️ Investigate and discipline staff involved in the Sept 16 assault (CO Boggs, Sgt. Brown, Lt. Burke) and stop retaliatory violence.
📝 End the coercive “Safety Agreement” scheme and restore power/tablet access without forced contracts.
🚪 Remove Tanner from long-term segregation and restore meaningful out-of-cell time consistent with Thorpe standards.
🕊️ Guarantee no reprisals for legal activity, grievances, or witness statements; protect all witnesses.
🕯️ Grant parole at the next opportunity, given two decades served since youth and ongoing risk at ROSP.

📑 Step 1: File an OSIG Ombudsman Complaint to Protect William Tanner (Virginia)

Form tips — OSIG Ombudsman Complaint Form
If the site says “Your form has expired,” reload and paste again. Keep your text in your clipboard before you navigate.

• Name / Phone / Email: Optional. Add if you want a case # and follow-up.
• Relationship to Inmate *: Concerned community member (or “Family advocate”).
• Facility Name *: Red Onion State Prison (ROSP), Wise County, VA.
• Inmate Name, DOC# *: William Tanner — #1192624
• Unit: C-Building, Pod C-0 (Segregation).
• Summary of what occurred *: Paste the gray box below.

“Subjects Involved”: CO Boggs (assaulted Tanner), Sgt. Brown, Lt. Burke, other staff present on 9/16/25.
“Witnesses to Allegations”: Yes — Dewaune (DeJuan) Lane Jr. (#1465648).
“Is anyone at DOC aware?”: Yes — supervisors were present during/after the incident.
“Previously Reported / Inmate Grievance Procedure *”: Emergency grievance filed 9/16/25.
“Evidence”: Emergency grievance, medical notes (stitches, eye swelling/vision issues), C-0 logs, strip-status record, incident reports, denial of hospital/x-rays, staff rosters, video/time logs.

📝 Ombudsman — SUMMARY OF WHAT OCCURRED

William Tanner (#1192624) is housed in C-Building, Pod C-0 (segregation) at Red Onion State Prison. He is 37 years old and has served 20 years since age 17 (parole-eligible under Montgomery v. Louisiana).

On September 4, 2025, Mr. Tanner notified outside advocates that he and others were preparing a class-action challenge to VADOC’s coercive “Safety Agreement,” which conditions power/tablet access on signing a so-called “voluntary” contract (no due process, secret protocols, broken incentives).

On September 16, 2025, staff accused him of “flooding” and placed him on strip-cell status that morning, as part of a new collective punishment regime announced Sept 1 at Red Onion and other Virginia prisons. Around 11:30 a.m. (lunchtime), when officers assaulted another prisoner, Dewaune (DeJuan) Lane Jr., for refusing to kneel in toilet water, Mr. Tanner simply stood to see more clearly. CO Boggs then slammed him face-first onto a table in the presence of Sgt. Brown and Lt. Burke.

Injuries reported: stitches above the left eyebrow; both eyes swollen with blood/pus; impaired vision. Despite the seriousness, he was not sent for outside hospital evaluation or x-rays. An emergency grievance was filed; adequate medical care has not been provided.

This appears to be retaliation tied to his protected effort to pursue legal relief regarding the “Safety Agreement,” and part of a broader pattern of collective punishment in C-Building (including kiosk/power retaliation in neighboring C-1). Prisoners are pressured to police one another, yet when genuine protective concern interferes with staff abuse (witnessing/objection), retaliation escalates.

Requested relief: (1) independent investigation; (2) preserve and review all video/logs from 9/16, including 11:30 a.m. in C-0; (3) discipline CO Boggs and involved supervisors; (4) end “Safety Agreement” coercion and collective punishment; (5) protect Mr. Tanner and witnesses from reprisals and restore conditions consistent with policy and Thorpe standards; (6) ensure immediate hospital-level medical evaluation.

➡️ Submit here: OSIG Ombudsman Complaint Form

🏥 Step 2: File an OSIG Healthcare Compliance Unit Complaint (Virginia)

Form tips — OSIG Healthcare Compliance Unit (HCU) Complaint
If the site says “Your form has expired,” reload and paste again. Keep your text in your clipboard before you navigate.

• Contact information (optional): Add if you want a case # and follow-up.
• Nature of complaint *: Neglect and Quality of Care (note “retaliation impacting care” in your text).
• Patient/resident name *: William Tanner — #1192624
• Program or facility *: Red Onion State Prison (ROSP), Wise County, VA.
• Summary of what occurred *: Paste the gray box below.

Key issues to highlight: facial/ocular trauma, denial of outside-hospital evaluation or imaging, delayed/inadequate assessment, retaliatory strip status and “Safety Agreement” context, emergency grievance with no medical response.

🩺 HCU — EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE COMPLAINT

PATIENT: William Tanner (#1192624), ROSP C-Building, Pod C-0 (segregation).
DATE: September 16, 2025.

SUMMARY / ISSUES
• Morning: falsely accused of flooding, placed on strip status under a collective punishment regime announced Sept 1.  
• Around 11:30 a.m. (lunchtime): while officers assaulted another prisoner (Dewaune/DeJuan Lane Jr.), CO Boggs slammed Mr. Tanner face-first onto a table while Sgt. Brown and Lt. Burke were present.  
• Injuries: stitches above left eyebrow; both eyes swollen with blood/pus; impaired vision.  
• No outside hospital evaluation or imaging despite facial/ocular trauma; no x-rays; inadequate assessment documented or provided.  
• An emergency grievance was filed regarding the assault and medical neglect; appropriate clinical response has not occurred.  
• Context: ongoing retaliation tied to refusal of VADOC’s “Safety Agreement” and Mr. Tanner’s Sept 4 notice to outside advocates about a class action.

REQUESTED CLINICAL ACTIONS
1) Immediate referral to outside hospital for full diagnostics (ocular exam, imaging as indicated) and treatment; document findings and interventions in the chart.  
2) Enter a comprehensive written evaluation for the 9/16 injuries; correct/complete any missing notes, including vision testing and infection screening.  
3) Review and address the decision to deny/delay hospital transfer; order corrective steps and monitoring.  
4) Ensure protected access to follow-up care (ophthalmology if indicated), pain management, antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications as clinically appropriate, and sick-call access without retaliation.  
5) Provide copies of relevant medical notes/messages to authorized outside advocates upon receipt of HIPAA/POA; ensure no reprisals for seeking care or filing grievances.

➡️ Submit here: OSIG Healthcare Complaint Form

Step 2: ✉️ One-Click Email — Stop Retaliation & Provide Medical Care

This message will go to these decision-makers:

Chadwick Dotson — VADOC Director
A. David Robinson — Chief of Corrections Ops
Gregory Holloway — Western Region Ops Chief
Thomas Meyer — Western Region Administrator (Institutions)
David Anderson — Warden, Red Onion SP
OSIG Corrections Ombudsman Office
VADOC Health Services Division
Governor’s Office & Public Safety Secretariat
Virginia OAG — Constituent Services

Subject: URGENT: Assault & Medical Neglect – William Tanner #1192624 (Red Onion) — End “Safety Agreement” Retaliation

Dear VADOC leadership, Public-Safety officials, Ombudsman staff, and Health Services,

I’m writing about William Tanner (DOC #1192624) at Red Onion State Prison, C-Building (Pod C-0). Mr. Tanner is 37 years old, has served 20 years since age 17, and is eligible for parole. On September 4, 2025 he notified advocates that he and others were seeking a class-action regarding the coercive “Safety Agreement” that strips power/tablet access unless prisoners sign a “voluntary” contract with no due process, secret protocols, and broken incentives.

The ACLU of Virginia formally notified VADOC on February 26, 2025 that its “Safety Agreement” is unconstitutional and harmful, documenting power shutoffs and punishment of refusers outside due process. Tanner’s Sept 16 assault and medical denial fits this pattern. (See ACLU-VA demand letter: https://www.acluva.org/app/uploads/2025/02/vdoc_safety_agreement_demand_letter_2-26-25.pdf)

On September 16, 2025:
• Mr. Tanner was falsely accused of flooding and placed on strip status in the morning.  
• Around lunchtime, when officers assaulted another prisoner (Dewaune/DeJuan Lane Jr.) for refusing to kneel in toilet water, CO Boggs slammed Mr. Tanner face-first onto a table while Sgt. Brown and Lt. Burke were present.  
• Mr. Tanner reports stitches above the left eyebrow, both eyes swollen with blood/pus, impaired vision, no x-rays, and no hospital transfer. An emergency grievance was filed, but medical care has been denied/delayed.

This appears to be direct retaliation linked to resistance to the “Safety Agreement,” and part of a broader collective-punishment pattern. Please act now:

1) Send Mr. Tanner for immediate hospital-level diagnostics and treatment (including imaging) with written confirmation.  
2) Launch an independent investigation, preserve all video/logs, and discipline staff (CO Boggs; Sgt. Brown; Lt. Burke) for excessive force/retaliation.  
3) End the coercive “Safety Agreement” practice and restore power/tablet access without forced contracts.  
4) Remove Mr. Tanner from long-term segregation and restore meaningful out-of-cell time consistent with policy and the Thorpe standards.  
5) Provide written assurance of no reprisals for legal activity, grievances, or witnessing assaults; protect witnesses to the 9/16 incident.

Thank you for your immediate attention.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[City, State]

📧 Step 3: Protect William Tanner with One-Click Email (ActionNetwork)

This letter includes William Tanner’s case alongside other urgent cases at Red Onion, Wallens Ridge, and across Virginia. Fill your info once, then send.

JavaScript is required to load the form. You can still take action: open the email tool in a new tab .

📞 Step 4: Call to Protect William Tanner

Make these calls (Mon – Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET). If one line goes to voicemail, leave a message and move to the next:

🔴 Red Onion Warden David Anderson: 276-796-7510
🔷 Western Region Administrator Thomas Meyer: 540-561-7050 (ask for him by name)
🔶 VADOC Director Chadwick Dotson: (804) 688-5459
🔶 Chief of Corrections Ops A. David Robinson: (757) 334-9872
🟣 Secretary of Public Safety Terrance Cole: 804-786-5351
🟢 Governor Glenn Youngkin – Constituent Services: 804-786-2211
🟠 Attorney General Jason Miyares: 804-786-2071

Hello, I’m calling about William Tanner, ID #1192624, at Red Onion State Prison. • On September 4, 2025 he indicated that he and others were seeking a class-action regarding the coercive “Safety Agreement.” • On September 16, 2025 he was falsely accused of flooding and put on strip status. When officers were assaulting another prisoner (Dewaune/DeJuan Lane Jr.), Mr. Tanner simply stood to get a better look and CO Boggs slammed him face-first onto a table while Sgt. Brown and Lt. Burke were present. • He reports stitches, swollen eyes with blood/pus, impaired vision, and no hospital evaluation or x-rays, despite an emergency grievance. This looks like retaliation tied to the “Safety Agreement” and collective-punishment practices. I’m demanding that you: 1) Send Mr. Tanner for immediate hospital-level diagnostics and treatment and confirm findings in writing. 2) Investigate and discipline CO Boggs, Sgt. Brown, and Lt. Burke; preserve all video and logs. 3) End the coercive “Safety Agreement” and restore power/tablet access without forced contracts. 4) Remove Mr. Tanner from long-term segregation and restore meaningful out-of-cell time. Will you commit to these actions now and provide written confirmation? Thank you.

✅ Step 5: Report Your Action

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Thank you for taking action and standing with us to protect William Tanner. By coming together as a united network of loved ones, you become the source of power that officials fear most. Keep sharing information, organizing your communities, and demanding accountability—your collective voice can expose abuses and force change.

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