XENIA — An assault on three inmates inside the Greene County Jail April 12 could have been the result of drugs entering the facility.
At least four persons were involved in the incident and three were transported to Greene Memorial Hospital. According to Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer, the patients were checked out to have bruising, but no broken bones. It is also suspected that each of them had ingested some sort of illegal drug. None were given Narcan.
“We assume the fight inside the jail was the result of the drugs that were illegally conveyed into the facility,” Fischer said.
He also said a male that was arrested April 11 possibly smuggled drugs into the jail. A search warrant was obtained to search body cavities, which turned out negative. The investigation is ongoing and the suspect has not been charged at this time.
A drug dog also swept the jail and did not find any additional drugs. Fischer said evidence found in the booking area of the jail is being sent to Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) to aide in the investigation.
According to the sheriff, this incident is one example of why a body scanner is so necessary for the jail. A contract has not been signed yet for the piece of equipment, however the process of obtaining one is well underway, which has involved county funding. Construction has already begun for the location of where it will be placed.
“We need that piece of equipment — it’s a tool,” he said.
This incident comes within months of two other incidents within the jail, including a fatal drug overdose and the ingestion and distribution of drugs in the female block.
“It’s a huge problem not just in the county … it’s everywhere. It’s just another continuance of what’s going on nationwide,” Fischer said.
