SNOW HILL — A Greene County inmate assaulted a jailer during a confrontation Monday — causing a fractured facial bone to the jailer.
The incident occurred around 3 p.m. when Lonnie Meadows, a detention officer at the jail, told inmate Timothy “Timmy” Devon King to get back in his cell.
Sheriff Lemmie Smith said King became aggressive and began to attack Meadows, who then sprayed him with pepper spray.
Smith said King knocked the jailer down on the floor, got on top of him and was hitting him.
“He hit him several times with his fist,” Smith said.
The sheriff relayed the incident to the county commissioners during their Monday night meeting.
“They beat him up pretty bad,” he told the board. “… He fractured his bone under one of his eyes and he got a concussion, but I think he’s going to be OK.”
Smith said Meadows was treated and released from Vidant Medical Center that afternoon and is off-duty until he gets the OK from his physician to return to work.
King, of 93 BB First St., Hookerton, is now on lockdown. He had been placed in jail under a $2,500 secured bond for misdemeanor 2nd degree trespassing, communicating threats and disorderly conduct.
King has been incarcerated into the State Department of Corrections 11 times from 1991 to December 2012 for numerous charges in Greene and Lenoir counties — including break and enters, possession of a firearm by a felon and habitual felon.
Charges are pending.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.