The Blytheville Police Department has opened up an internal affairs investigation following a report that a woman was held with a man at the Blytheville Police Department Detention Facility, Blytheville Police Chief Ross Thompson confirmed Tuesday.
Cynthia Turner told the Courier News that Friday her daughter, 22-year-old Aramis Turner, was in a holding cell with an intoxicated man, who exposed himself and urinated on the walls.
Cynthia Turner claimed officers were unresponsive to her daughter's complaints about putting the man in the cell with her and ignored his action. She alleges they weren't separated until the man became loud and obnoxious.
Aramis was still incarcerated at the Mississippi County jail Tuesday afternoon, according to her mother, who hoped she would be released this morning (Wednesday).
"There's a lot of details that we can't give right now because we're still looking into it, just to see what may have happened or how something may have happened," Thompson said Tuesday. "It's going to take some time to go through some stuff."
Thompson acknowledged Aramis Turner was arrested Friday on two failure to appear warrants and held for approximately 12 hours before being transported to the county jail. For most of that 12 hours, Turner was alone in the cell, the chief noted.
"The error was discovered and corrected," Thompson said.
"They were held together for a brief period of time," he added. "She was here for 12 hours; they weren't held together for the whole 12 hours. It was a brief period of time while she was here during that 12 hours. Again, all the officers and everybody involved, that's still something that's under investigation."
The Blytheville Police Department's policy prohibits putting men with women in a holding cell.
"Adult detainees Male and Female detainees will never be held in the same room or cell together," the policy reads. "Misdemeanor and Felony Detainees will be kept separate. Pre-trial and Post-trial detainees whether felony or misdemeanor awaiting to go to trial should not be held with a convicted inmate. Male officers should avoid entering a cell or room if possible for security or extraction purposes with a female detainee unless a female officer or employee is present. Likewise a Female officer or employee should avoid entering a cell or room if possible for security or extraction purposes with a male detainee unless a male officer or employee is present. Detainees may be administratively segregated by the on duty supervisor for safety, integrity, or other reasons as deemed necessary."
The Blytheville Police Department Detention Facility is a temporary holding facility of 12 hours or less. It is primarily intended to hold non-violent pre-trial misdemeanors. On occasion, the facility may house a non-violent felon awaiting a bond hearing or post-trial inmates in transition between court and a long-term detention facility, according to the BPD policy.
Aramis Turner was arrested Friday on failure to appear warrants that were issued Dec. 21, 2010, according to police records.
The original charges were second-degree assault and second-degree criminal mischief, the records indicate.
The assault charge stems from an alleged incident at Po Charlies Fish Market on South Division on July 12, 2010.
According to the police report, Turner attempted to strike the victim with a 2-by-4 that had nails in it, kicked her car (with damage) and called her names.
According to the police report regarding the criminal mischief charge, on Sept. 19, 2010, Aramis Turner threw a metal object against an apartment on Lumerate Street in front of where the victim's vehicle was parked and struck the front passenger door. She also allegedly hit a vehicle with the object before throwing it.
On Friday, a family member reported to police that Aramis Turner had been involved in a motor vehicle accident on July 10 and given that individual's information instead of her own. Police amended the accident report to show Aramis was the driver, the report says.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com