Tri-State corrections officers plead not guilty after inmate hospitalized

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WEST UNION, Ohio (WXIX) - Four Adams County corrections officers pleaded not guilty Wednesday after an inmate was left in his cell for several days without checking on him, resulting in a medical emergency.

Terry Akers, 40; Danny Kiskadden, 36, Chad Stanforth, 41, and Kiara Williams, 21, pleaded not guilty to one count of dereliction of duty, a misdemeanor charge, court documents show.

Williams also faces a charge for allegedly falsifying records, to which she also pleaded not guilty.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred between April 17 and 20 when an inmate was found unresponsive in a holding cell in the booking area of the Adams County Jail.

An affidavit says the victim was found unresponsive in a cell with dried feces, urine and vomit next to him on April 20. He was transported to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with “serious medical issues that persisted from being left unattended and unchecked.”

After the diagnosis, the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office was asked to perform an independent investigation to find out what happened.

According to Clermont County Sheriff Chris Stratton, jail staff removed an inmate from his assigned housing unit and placed him in a holding cell after he allegedly became combative on April 14.

The inmate was transported to Adams County Regional Medical Center due to a change in his behavior. After his evaluation, he was transported back to the jail and placed in the holding cell. He stayed there until April 20 when someone found him unresponsive, the sheriff said.

Following the investigation, it was determined that all four officers did not check on the inmate during their shifts for four days, despite a log that said they did do physical checks, Stratton and court documents allege.

Williams is accused of making those false statements in the jail’s system, which is why she is facing one falsification charge.

If convicted, dereliction of duty carries up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine. Williams’ falsifying records charge carries up to 180 days and a $1000 fine.

All four are expected to return in September for pre-trial, ahead of the trial date in October if the cases aren’t resolved.

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