An inmate at the Washington County Detention Center has been charged with attempted second-degree murder after an incident involving a detention officer.
According to a press release from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, an officer at the detention center was in the process of moving 44-year-old Patricia Lynn Nunley from one housing unit to another this morning. Nunley reportedly began cursing at the officer and attempted to strike the officer in the face. The officer deployed her department-issued chemical agent to subdue the suspect. At that point, Nunley struck the officer in the face, used her arm to choke the officer, and continued to hit her.
Other inmates then attempted to intervene and pull Nunley off the officer. Nunley and the officer fell to the ground. As the officer attempted to use her radio to call for help, Nunley allegedly took the the radio cord and wrapped it around the officer’s neck in an attempt to strangle her. Two inmates pulled Nunley’s hands away to free the officer. Detention officers then entered the housing unit and separated all parties. The officer was transported by staff to a local medical facility for treatment.
Nunley was originally booked into the detention center in September 2022 for false activation of a fire alarm and bonded out the same day for that misdemeanor charge. While out on bond, she failed to make a court appearance, was subsequently arrested, and booked back into the detention center on April 6, 2024. Her bond on the attempted murder charge was set at $50,000 and she will appear in court Thursday.
