Published: July 08, 2008 11:04 pm            

Jail fight leaves one in stitches

TERRE HAUTE — A Monday morning jail fight left one Vigo County inmate with eight stitches in his face and another with the possibility of additional charges.

Vigo County Sheriff Jon Marvel said the fight was caught on surveillance camera and his department will ask the prosecutor to charge Jamus T. Neal Sr., 34, with battery causing serious bodily.

Marvel said Neal and Melvin Ray Bell, 23, both of Terre Haute, were roommates in their cell block, when for unknown reason, the two began pushing and shoving each other about 9:50 a.m. Monday.

Other inmates broke up the altercation, Marvel said, but about 15 minutes later Bell was lying on the floor watching television and Neal attacked him with a toothbrush and razor blade that had been modified into a “homemade weapon.”

Bell managed to fend off Neal, but took several slashes to the face, “near his eye,” Marvel said, along with some cuts on his arms and legs.

The attack resulted in Bell requiring eight stitches, he said.

“All of this was caught on our video camera,” Marvel said, noting there were an additional 13 or 14 “eyewitnesses” that claim they “really didn’t see anything.”

Bell has been in the Vigo County jail about 64 days without bail facing allegations of criminal recklessness, a warrant for parole violation and many counts of failure to appear, Marvel said.

Neal has been in custody about 52 days without bail facing a class-A felony allegation of dealing cocaine, as well as many counts of failure to appear.

Both men are 6 feet, 1 inch tall and between 170 and 175 pounds, Marvel said.

According to Marvel, jail population was 287 when the fight occurred, about 19 over the limit.

Despite that, Marvel said crowding wasn’t the problem.

“I want to blame it on overcrowding,” he said. “But Cell Block D, which is where they were … everybody had a bed.”

Marvel said three other unrelated fights broke out throughout the day.

“I’ve told my staff if we have any more fights we’ll go on a lockdown until things get cooled off,” he said, adding that Monday was particularly tough because of a heavy court schedule.

Deputies escort inmates to and from the courts, as well as provide security inside, and with “chain gangs” as long as 13 people each, staff is stretched, he said.

“Yesterday was an extremely bad day as far as staff is concerned,” he said Tuesday.

The fight between Neal and Bell was under investigation, but the cause might never be known for sure, he said.

“Unless we see it happen, we just don’t get a straight story from these guys,” he said.

Brian Boyce can be reached at (812) 231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.

        

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