The Madison County Sheriff’s Office says an inmate was unprovoked when he started hitting a corrections officer in the face several times.
The officer, a sergeant who has been with the department for years, was taken to the hospital for his injuries and is now back at home recovering.
"It’s just a feeling you don't ever want to hear, you don't want to get, knowing that one of your own is being transported to the hospital for doing this job," said Brent Patterson of the Madison County Sheriff's Office. "We're thankful, and we're glad that at the end of the day, he got to go home."
The suspect, Keon Jackson, could now face a new felony assault charge, which could mean another up to 10 years in prison.
Deputies describe Jackson as a known troublemaker at the Madison County Jail, and they say that's because he's got nothing to lose.
"He knows that there's a good chance that he will never go home," Patterson said.
Jackson could spend the rest of his life in prison for a 2017 capital murder charge. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office says he shot a man, took his wallet, then set the man's house on fire and stole his vehicle.
Since then, Jackson has been in jail, waiting for his trial to start but not without causing some trouble.
Jackson is accused of trying to escape jail twice, destroying prison property and being involved in several attacks.
In 2021, he punched someone at the jail, giving them a black eye and busted lip. Just last year, Jackson allegedly threatened to kill a correction officer and spit on their arm and leg.
"He's a menace to society, and you know, he's an issue. He's been an issue, but, you know, he's voided all the rights anybody else is afforded," Patterson said. "So our main goal is to make sure that every inmate in that facility is well taken care of, and even though they do harm to our officers, at the end of the day, it's our job to make sure they're OK."
Jackson’s murder trial is expected to start next month. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, but he could face life in prison. If found guilty, Jackson would be moved out of the Madison County Jail into a state prison.
The Madison County Sheriff's Office sergeant is at home recovering.
