This interview was recorded Wednesday, Aug. 25, at the Henderson County Justice Center.
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In this week's episode, Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse talks about COVID-19 in the jail, a shooting that turned into a murder, and multiple drug arrests.
I. Stats (1:40)
There are currently 424 in the jail with 102 of those being out-of-county inmates.
II. COVID-19 (2:52)
Cases of COVID-19 in the jail have gone down, according to Sheriff Hillhouse.
"We're down to one inmate that has tested positive right now and then nine other inmates in quarantine," he said. "I do have three detention officers that are out with it and seven or eight other employees out with it."
There were about 40 inmates who were positive for COVID-19 when visitation in the jail was stopped.
"This is just proof that if we can quarantine and lock people down we can try and get control over it," he said.
Sheriff Hillhouse said he is going to ask for an extension to the original 30-day visitation shutdown to protect the inmates.
III. Shooting (5:12)
Sheriff Hillhouse discussed a shooting last week that ended in a man's death.
Wednesday, Aug. 18, Huey Edward Nichols, 85, was charged with Murder and is in the Henderson County Jail.
According to Sheriff Hillhouse, Nichols said he felt threatened so he fired a single round from a 38-caliber revolver through his screen door, striking the victim in the upper abdomen. The victim died the next morning.
According to Sheriff's Investigator Daniel Wright, the victim went to the home in the 14000 block of VZCR 4811 to check on the welfare of the suspect, which is in Henderson County. There were no signs of forced entry or a struggle, though the suspect said he was threatened.
The family of the victim said they regularly drop by unannounced to check on the status of the neighbor.
The case will be taken to the grand jury and will move forward from there.
IV. Narcotics Arrests (7:59)
Deputy Jonathan Barrios has been busy! The Deputy has racked up a series of narcotics arrests recently.
"Just this last week he's made five narcotics arrests from Gun Barrel City to the City of Athens," said Sheriff Hillhouse. "He's just working hard."
"It's getting that stuff off the street and that's the main goal," he said.
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