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WAYNESBORO, Ga. – The ongoing dialogue about improving conditions at the Burke County Jail has gained renewed urgency for Sheriff Alfonzo Williams, following a pair of troubling incidents involving the same inmate and two different officers.
Sheriff Williams is once again appealing to county leaders, emphasizing the need for enhanced measures after these recent events. According to investigators, 25-year-old Jayven Ward is accused of assaulting an officer over the weekend by hurling a mixture of toilet water and urine. The situation escalated when Ward, after being moved to a different cell the following day, allegedly targeted another officer by throwing human feces.
“It’s a horrific circumstance,” Williams remarked. “There was no provocation; the inmate is here facing murder charges and seems devoid of any remorse for his actions.”
After relocating to a different cell the next day, he allegedly threw human feces at a different officer.
“It’s a horrible situation,” said Williams. “No provocation on that whatsoever, other than the inmate is here for murder, and just has no remorse about any of that.”
Sheriff Williams confirms both officers are unharmed and getting proper support.
“They’re physically fine, but psychologically I’m not sure. One of them had feces literally splattered against his face and portions of his mouth and his eyes. I would not be okay psychologically,” the Sheriff said.
But, with rusted doors and mold covering the walls, ceilings and showers, the Sheriff says upgrades are urgent for the 40-year-old facility.
“We understand that in human nature, people are just going to do things that are improper, and it is what it is. But, we have to have proper facilities to deal with those folks. If we’re going to put humans—deputies and officers—in a position to care for those folks, then we’re going to have to give them the right resources and tools to be safe,” Williams said.
The conditions at the jail are even impacting operations for law enforcement.
“We can’t do simple things like classification. If we have gang members, we don’t have true lockdown facilities. So, this person that assaulted two officers—who’s already in jail for murder—is currently locked down as best we can, but it’s not even a true lockdown,” said Williams. .
We reached out to county leadership about this most recent request for upgrades.
County Manager Merv Waldrop sent NewsChannel 6 this statement:
“The Commissioners Office has not received a copy nor was notified of any incidents over the weekend. The Board has been working for several years on Jail Renovation. We are in court with Sheriff Williams over the use of camera funds which the Board wants to dedicate to this project.”
Sheriff Williams says if it were up to him, the jail needs a facelift.
“I think it needs to be torn down and rebuilt, but if they take the infrastructure we have and make it safe, I’m all for it. But, the longer they wait, the more people will be hurt. The more lawsuits will come about, and the more difficult it is to hire and retain qualified staff,” said Williams.
As for Ward, he’s now facing more charges following these two attacks.
The investigation is ongoing.