Published: Friday, February 24, 2012
Female county jail inmate allegedly attacked corrections deputy, took keys, pepper spray
An inmate is accused of wrestling the woman to the ground and then stealing her keys and pepper spray.
EVERETT -- A Snohomish County Jail inmate could face a felony assault charge after she allegedly attacked a corrections deputy early Friday morning and wrestled away her keys and pepper spray.
The deputy was delivering an item to another inmate in a medical housing unit for women around 12:50 a.m. when she was attacked and pulled to the ground, Snohomish County Sheriff's Office chief Kevin Prentiss said.
The inmate -- an Everett woman, 29 -- told investigators she just needed fresh air, according to court papers.
"You could look at it as a feeble escape attempt," Prentiss said.
The officer was checking individual cells to make sure inmates were where they were supposed to be.
The deputy tried to use her radio to request help when she was attacked. The 180-pound inmate pulled the corrections officer's microphone, trying to prevent a transmission.
As they fell to the floor, the inmate took the deputy's keys from her belt and threw them to another inmate, court papers said.
"It sounds like she was trying to get others involved," Prentiss said.
Other inmates apparently did not participate, he said.
The deputy eventually was able to press the emergency button on her radio, Prentiss said. The signal went to a dispatcher who was able to alert other deputies. They came to her aid.
Before they arrived, the deputy brought out her pepper spray, but the inmate grabbed her hand and was able to wrestle it from her.
During the altercation, the inmate yelled at the deputy to open the door to the unit, according to court papers.
No one was injured.
Afterward, the inmate said she told the corrections deputy "that she needed to get fresh air," according to court papers.
Even if she had a set of keys, there was no chance she could have escaped with the number of locked doors, other corrections deputies and security cameras in the jail, Prentiss said.
Other deputies subdued the inmate with blasts of pepper spray.
The suspect, who initially was booked for investigation of a misdemeanor theft, now is under investigation for third-degree assault, a felony.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
The deputy was delivering an item to another inmate in a medical housing unit for women around 12:50 a.m. when she was attacked and pulled to the ground, Snohomish County Sheriff's Office chief Kevin Prentiss said.
The inmate -- an Everett woman, 29 -- told investigators she just needed fresh air, according to court papers.
"You could look at it as a feeble escape attempt," Prentiss said.
The officer was checking individual cells to make sure inmates were where they were supposed to be.
The deputy tried to use her radio to request help when she was attacked. The 180-pound inmate pulled the corrections officer's microphone, trying to prevent a transmission.
As they fell to the floor, the inmate took the deputy's keys from her belt and threw them to another inmate, court papers said.
"It sounds like she was trying to get others involved," Prentiss said.
Other inmates apparently did not participate, he said.
The deputy eventually was able to press the emergency button on her radio, Prentiss said. The signal went to a dispatcher who was able to alert other deputies. They came to her aid.
Before they arrived, the deputy brought out her pepper spray, but the inmate grabbed her hand and was able to wrestle it from her.
During the altercation, the inmate yelled at the deputy to open the door to the unit, according to court papers.
No one was injured.
Afterward, the inmate said she told the corrections deputy "that she needed to get fresh air," according to court papers.
Even if she had a set of keys, there was no chance she could have escaped with the number of locked doors, other corrections deputies and security cameras in the jail, Prentiss said.
Other deputies subdued the inmate with blasts of pepper spray.
The suspect, who initially was booked for investigation of a misdemeanor theft, now is under investigation for third-degree assault, a felony.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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