Most of the time, a jailhouse brawl tends to involve inmates, not police officers.
But that wasn’t the case earlier this month when a jailer came to blows with a sheriff’s deputy inside a Kentucky jail.
According to a joint statement by the Hardin County Detention Center and the Hardin County Sherriff’s Department, the incident occurred on Feb. 8 when Deputy Clennon Smith got into a verbal altercation with Hardin County Deputy Jailer Joe Funk.
“Officer Funk and Officer Smith appeared to have words over the placement of a backpack that Officer Smith brought in,” Hardin County lead jailer Danny Allen told reporters at a press conference Wednesday.
“Sometimes bad decisions and anger causes people to make the wrong choice.”
As captured on the jail’s security camera, Funk moves around from the booking gate to confront Smith. As the camera did not capture audio it is not known what the men said but within moments the altercation became physical.
The situation escalated further when Smith tried to arrest Funk. Other officers are seen jumping into the scrum as Smith wrestles Funk to the ground.
“Deputy Funk has been suspended with pay until his court appearance,” Allen said. “This will be handled and processed through the judicial court system.”
In a statement to police, Funk said he did not follow Smith’s commands because he did not understand why he was being arrested. Photos provided to WAVE-3 News in Kentucky shows Funk with a bloody nose, swollen lip, sore neck and bruising on his hand following the altercation.
Funk was charged with menacing, resisting arrest and assault. Allen told reporters that Funk was not held inside a corrections facility after his arrest for fear his status as a corrections officer would make him a target for other inmates.
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