Five Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies have been hospitalized after experiencing symptoms of exposure to what the sheriff’s office called an unknown substance at the adult county jail Wednesday.
Emanuel Hayes, Keaira Hawkins, Mauricia Bennett, Zekeyia Jackson and investigator Michael Musgrove were taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center at about noon after they assisted a detainee and conducted a search of that person’s cell at the W.C. “Dub” Brassell Detention Center, according to a news release from Maj. John Bean. Hayes and Hawkins became unconscious at the jail shortly after coming in contact with an uncooperative detainee, it was reported.
Investigators are probing the incident to determine the source of the exposure, Bean said in the release. Those responsible will be charged to the full extent of the law, he said.
“The detainee stated people were smoking paper that had been soaked with drugs in the cell,” Bean wrote.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Bennett reportedly complained of chest pains soon after the search, and Jackson was reported with a headache and rash on her face.
Musgrove was seen at Jefferson Regional as a precaution, but released after showing no signs of exposure, according to Bean.
“We are relieved to report that all of our deputies are currently receiving medical attention, and we remain hopeful for their full recovery,” Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. said in a statement. “Today’s incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers our deputies face while diligently carrying out their duties. These brave individuals put their safety on the line to uphold the law and ensure the wellbeing of our community as well as our detainees.”
Three people have been arrested after investigations into possible smuggling of contraband into the jail within the past two months. Andrew Harris, 43, and Yasmine Dunlap, 27, were arrested and had bail set at $10,000 each earlier this month, but it was not reported what they attempted to smuggle. Detention Deputy Stephen Young, 24, was arrested in late October after reporting for work when supervisory staff were said to notice “a significant amount of contraband in Young’s possession” including what was suspected to be marijuana, tobacco and a rechargeable disposable vape device.
“Detainees are very ingenious, and they develop new ways of introducing the contraband into the detention center,” said Bean, the sheriff’s operations commander. “We hear about these types of exposures across the country more often than we would like. This is a totally different ballgame. The wide variety designer drugs, and the numerous ways it can be taken into the body, make it ever more challenging for it to be identified before it is introduced into our facility. This incident again shows not only the dangerous effects of the drugs on the user, but also anyone who may come in contact with them or the area it is used.”
Any actions that jeopardize the health of the deputies will be met with appropriate legal consequences, Bean added.
“We appreciate the outpouring of support from the community and ask for your thoughts and prayers for the swift recovery of our deputies,” he wrote.