By Shereen Skola
Daily Herald Media
MARATHON COUNTY, Wisc. — Marathon County officials said Tuesday that staffing levels and communications system failures that have plagued the jail were not a factor in last week’s assault that left a corrections officer fighting for her life.
But in a major policy shift, Chief Deputy Scott Parks announced at a Tuesday news conference that officers had begun carrying Tasers that morning, after Parks’ review of policies from several other county jails within the state. Prior to the attack, corrections officers at the jail were allowed to carry only pepper spray because administrators feared inmates could take other weapons and use them against officers.
“Members of the community and members of the Sheriff’s Department staff have questioned the security of our Marathon County Jail,” Parks said. “Our investigation suggests that staffing levels and whether or not correction officers were provided Tasers were not contributing factors in this particular incident.”
Parks said Corrections Officer Julie Christensen, 36, of Kronenwetter was injured in the attack and remained Tuesday in the intensive care unit at Aspirus Wausau Hospital with head injuries. Christensen’s family has requested that no further information be released about her condition, Parks said.
Full story: County leaders defend jail record (with video, documents)