|
|
| Task Force Quashes Riot at Tenn. Jail |
| By Knoxville News-Sentinel |
| Published: 03/04/2003 |
|
A weekend riot and alleged escape attempt at the Cocke County Jail in Newport was quashed by an ad hoc task force of sheriff's deputies, city police officers and state troopers, authorities said recently. None of the officers or inmates were hurt during the operation, which began about 8:20 p.m. January 11 when a group of prisoners called a Knoxville television station and relayed their intention to 'overpower the jailers and cause chaos and a riot,' said sheriff's department Chief of Corrections Michael McCarter. 'They were fixing to escape,' McCarter said. The television station then contacted the sheriff's department, and deputies noticed that a 'large quantity of water' was coming from a 20-bed cell pod, McCarter said. The jailers then 'locked down' the entire facility, which cut off all telephone access and prevented anyone from entering or leaving the building. 'In that situation, the jailers are not to open any cell doors, even if someone is having a seizure or a stroke, until a supervisor arrives on the scene,' McCarter said. McCarter said he was called to the scene and requested aid from patrol deputies, the Newport Police Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol in conducting a cell extraction. The 21 officers who made up the ad hoc extraction team found their way blocked by bunks and mats that had been piled in front of the doors, McCarter said. The officers were armed with incapacitating 'chemical agents' and batons in case of resistance, McCarter said, but only four of the 20 prisoners in the cell allegedly chose to fight. 'We warned them that we were coming in, and the ones who didn't want to resist were told to be prone on the floor,' McCarter said. The four inmates who allegedly resisted the officers were subdued with the chemical sprays and taken into the recreational yard while the remaining inmates were lodged in the drunk tank, he said. An inspection of the barricaded pod revealed that some of the inmates had plugged up the toilet, shower and sinks in order to flood the room, McCarter said. The four prisoners who were identified by police as 'ringleaders' in the plot were each charged with felony vandalism and may face additional charges when a grand jury convenes in March, McCarter said. They have since been transferred to jails in Hamblen and Grainger counties. Aaron Ramey, news director for WATE-TV, Channel Six, said Monday that his station had received a phone call about an impending riot at the jail over the weekend but 'we didn't know who it was from.' Nothing about the incident was reported, however, because when reporters tried to follow up on the tip over the weekend they 'were told by police that nothing was going on,' Ramey said. McCarter said that jailers have been injured in past escape attempts and credited Saturday's successful operation to recent training exercises. 'We've changed our policies and procedures,' McCarter said. 'It went like a textbook. I couldn't have asked for a better cell extraction . ... We couldn't have had a training scenario that went any better.' |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Do you know someone who has been arrested in Waco or McLennan County? It’s important to find a good Waco lawyer to represent you in the matter involving your own liberty. Look for the best Waco family law attorney that you can find. Whether you have been accused rightly or wrongly, it’s important to know your legal rights that concern whether you go to jail.