Chris0nllyn
Well-Known Member
Thomas Creek Jr. was briefly in the news in March when his body was found dumped in a remote area of Polk County.
What wasn't made public was that Creek, 34, had been arrested that night on warrants for theft, shoplifting and drug possession. A police incident report says he was turned away at the Bradley County Jail for medical reasons and taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
He didn't stay in the hospital for long. He made a few calls — including to his mother — walked out under his own power and was never seen alive again.
It wasn't the first time Bradley County Jail officials refused entry on medical grounds to someone under arrest. On March 1, the jail refused to take two heavily intoxicated men. In that case, city officers dropped the two off at the hospital.
On March 28, jailers turned away a man with a cut on his arm brought in on a felony warrant. Bodycam video shows officers made several futile attempts to turn the man over for booking before uncuffing him and setting him free right in the jail's sally port.
Bodycam video shows Officer Bradley Colbaugh tried to give a copy of an attorney general's opinion stating that the jail must accept all prisoners to corrections personnel. Lt. Carol Edwards refused it and ordered jailers not to accept any papers or open the jail door.
Colbaugh called his supervisor, Sgt. Buddy Mitchell, who came to the jail and asked Edwards, "Do you know this is possibly criminal?"
She responded that she was just following departmental policies.
Gibson said the officers had no choice but to uncuff Hudgins and turn him loose.
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/...efusals-set-end-after-parade-problems/424266/Then, though, Gibson called Sheriff Eric Watson and got him to agree to take Hudgins, so Colbaugh and Mitchell had to track him down and arrest him all over again.