Jefferson County Sheriff McCoig Calls Press Conference and Defends Hanging Suit

L/R – Jefferson County, TN Sheriff G.W. “Bud” McCoig, Captain R. Oaks, in a press conference held on April 18, 2014
Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

Jefferson County Sheriff McCoig held a Press Conference on Friday, April 18, 2014 at 4 pm in the Justice Center.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department Captain Oaks entered the room prior to Sheriff McCoig and informed the Press that the Sheriff would make a statement and would take no questions.

Sheriff McCoig stated that he was representing the men and women that are employed by the department and over see inmates at the Jefferson County Jail. He said that “they had done nothing wrong” in regard to two hanging deaths and one suspected heart attack at the Jefferson County Jail. Sheriff McCoig stated that he had requested TBI investigations look into the incident and that they found that they had done nothing wrong. According to Sheriff McCoig, the Jefferson County Jail houses between 250-300 inmates daily.

One of the suicides in question is the subject of a legal suit filed this week against Jefferson County alleging wrongful death of inmate Jeffrey Free, who was found hanged in mid January. The Sheriff did not confirm the name of another inmate that was also found hanged earlier this week at the Jefferson County Jail, nor the inmate that died of apparent heart attack. He did state that he had witnessed employees attending to those inmates.

Sheriff McCoig said that 4 years ago he was attacked (personally) during the election and that he is being attacked again with the timely law suit. McCoig quoted biblical scripture-Romans 5:6 “While we were still helpless at the appointed moments, Christ died for the ungodly” and following the quote the Sheriff exited the room.