By Ben Benton
The Chattanooga Times Free Press
PIKEVILLE, Tenn. — Bledsoe County Jail administrator Patricia “Trish” Johnson was placed on administrative leave last week after being charged in connection with a jailhouse beating, Sheriff Jimmy Morris said.
Mrs. Johnson “is on (paid) administrative leave until this is cleared up,” Sheriff Morris said Monday. The sheriff had said Friday that Mrs. Johnson would remain at her job while the case was pending.
Mrs. Johnson pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of official oppression and perjury, records show. The charges arose from a TBI probe that began March 21, according to a state spokeswoman.
Shannon Roland, an inmate at the Bledsoe County Jail in February, was beaten twice by other inmates, according to officials. The indictments state Mrs. Johnson allowed the beatings while she was on duty and charge her with lying to investigators.
But Sheriff Morris said he believes Mrs. Johnson is innocent, based on her actions before the beating.
“The day (Mr. Roland) got whipped, she called me at the academy” about threats made earlier toward Mr. Roland, Sheriff Morris said. The sheriff was attending training at a police academy in Nashville.
“She wanted to know what she needed to do with him because (other inmates) had threatened to whip him,” the sheriff said. “She was concerned with his safety or she wouldn’t have called me.”
Mrs. Johnson was told to move Mr. Roland to a cell by himself downstairs, the sheriff said. But the inmates managed to get to Mr. Roland anyway because of the jail’s poor condition, he said.
The sheriff said the fact that Mrs. Johnson is his sister-in-law doesn’t present complications because the TBI is handling the investigation.
“We’ve all got our opinions, but I’m sure it’ll all come out in court,” Sheriff Morris said.
Mr. Roland could not be reached for comment.
Mrs. Johnson remains free on $3,500 bond and is scheduled to be in Circuit Court on Sept. 26, court officials said.
Copyright 2007 The Chattanooga Times Free Press