ROGERSVILLE, Tenn.-
A Hawkins County jailer was fired after shooting an inmate with a toy gun. Sheriff Roger Christian said Josh Byrd had brought to work earlier this month a toy pistol that shoots rubber pellets with compressed air to discuss using it during training exercises.
“(Byrd was) plinking with it, shooting it, and as the inmate came up for whatever reason, he aimed it toward the inmate and fired,” Christian said. “I feel it was intentional. I don’t feel it was an accident.”
The inmate was unhurt and Christian said it was a horseplay incident, but it crossed the boundaries of professionalism.
“I said throughout my campaign we are going to elevate our standards, and that was something that would not be tolerated,” Christian said.
Byrd had served the department with distinction as a reserve deputy before he was hired as a jailer in late September. He was fired Oct. 16 after an internal investigation of the incident. No criminal charges were filed.
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Information from: Kingsport Times-News,
