By Destinee Ot
Richmond Register
RICHMOND, Ky. — A Berea man arrested for traffic offenses received additional charges after allegedly attempting to stab jail staff with a syringe hidden in his boot.
Joshua Newby, 37, was arrested by Richmond police on April 16 and charged with failure to or improper signal, rear license not illuminated, operating on a suspended or revoked license, and possession of burglary tools.
However, once he was transported to the Madison County Detention Center, he was then charged, after allegedly trying to stab an officer, with first-degree promoting contraband, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), tampering with physical evidence, buying or possession of drug paraphernalia and second-degree wanton endangerment.
According to the citation, before Newby’s transport after his arrest for possession of burglary tools, he was searched, and no contraband was located during the search.
Newby was transported to the Madison County Detention Center, where the officer continued his investigation and wrote their citation while Newby sat in the back seat in handcuffs. He was then transferred to the Madison County Detention Center.
The citation states, as the officer was walking Newby into the secure confinement of the facility, they asked him if he had anything on his person, to which he responded no. Moments after the officer left the detention center, they received a call about Newby fighting staff. He allegedly attempted to inject a substance from a loaded syringe found in his boot.
According to the citation, a deputy found the syringe and laid it on an adjacent table to complete his search. Newby grabbed the loaded syringe, uncapped the needle, and attempted to inject the substance into the deputy’s abdominal area.
Multiple people tried to restrain Newby.
During the attempt to restrain him, the syringe could not be controlled, and three deputies were allegedly at substantial risk of being injured by the uncapped syringe, which would expose them to the unknown substance within.
The syringe was knocked from Newby’s hand, and he was restrained.
One of the deputies believed Newby was able to inject some of the substance briefly. The needle allegedly had some blood on it, and none of the deputies had been wounded, so it is believed he injected himself.
The citation states the little bit of clear liquid which remained in the syringe was leaking, but they were allegedly able to test it in a methamphetamine kit, and it tested positive.
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