RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — An inmate assaulted a Richmond sheriff’s deputy with a broomstick inside the city jail, as seen in a previously unreleased video that was provided to 8News.
The video presents another example of a sheriff’s deputy who was assaulted by an inmate at the facility — the third alleged assault at the jail reported by 8News in the last 14 months.
Chip Davis, the latest known victim of this violence, decided to speak candidly on Wednesday, July 20, and share rare surveillance video of the assault, which he said was given to him by the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
Davis said he was the only deputy inside the jail pod when he was assaulted in September of 2020, and said the broom that was used in the assault had been left out following a cell cleaning.
While preparing to serve a meal, Davis said that he turned his back to pick up the tray when “he [the inmate] picked up the broom, swung it like a baseball bat, hit me in the back of the head, and punched me in the back of the head and shoved me to the ground.”
“I realized I was covered in blood. The head wound was really, really bad. I kind of freaked out a little bit,” Davis said.
Watch the video of the assault below:
Davis said the inmate has been identified as Damien Temple. Court records reflect Davis’ account of the assault date and indicate that Temple was charged, convicted and sentenced to 20 years for assaulting a law enforcement officer. Court records show Temple pleaded guilty, and a judge reduced his sentence to five years.
Almost two years since the assault, Davis said he developed PTSD, chronic migraines and neck pain — all of this after receiving stitches from a gash in his ear.
“I want my story out there, I want people to really understand what’s going on in the jail and I want people to understand about PTSD for first responders is real, it’s traumatic. We see a lot and it’s OK to talk about it, it’s OK to get help, it’s OK to be not OK sometimes,” Davis said.
Meanwhile, after the last-known assault nearly two weeks ago, the sheriff’s office finally responded to 8News’ multiple requests for comment after “Deputy S. Cole” was reportedly assaulted on July 7 by Sakeem Bell, an inmate at the jail.
The one-sentence response from Major Stacey Bagby did not provide an explanation into exactly what happened, but instead said the sheriff’s office staff “are following all protocols of an ongoing investigation and HIPAA regulations.“
Davis said there are several reasons he no longer works at the jail: he said his doctor has not cleared him to return, he has an ongoing dispute with the city over workers comp and because of the the working conditions inside the jail.
After the interview with Davis on Wednesday evening, 8News contacted the sheriff’s office about the latest revelation. The office has not yet provided a response at the time of this report.
8News reported in May 2021 about another former sheriff’s deputy who said he was injured while on the job after an inmate punched him at the jail.
Richmond City Councilmember Reva Trammel told 8News she requested that Sheriff Antionette Irving attend a public safety committee meeting on Tuesday for an explanation into the process on “securing mentally ill inmates and the safety of other inmates and personnel.”
