http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9008347Jailed bounty hunter beaten by fellow inmates in Hawkins County
Published 09/29/2008 By Jeff Bobo
ROGERSVILLE — The girlfriend of bail bondsman Tracy Head, who was beaten by fellow inmates in the Hawkins County Jail early Monday morning, said Head was targeted because of his occupation and should have been placed in segregation at the beginning of his sentence.
According to reports, Head, 36, of 349 Waterson Gap Road, Surgoinsville, suffered bruises and cuts requiring several stitches to his head as a result of an altercation with other inmates shortly after midnight Sunday. He had started serving a 45-day sentence for DUI second offense and driving on a revoked license five days earlier.
Head reportedly told jail officers that he was “jumped” by as many as four fellow inmates.
His girlfriend, Ursula Scarse, told the Times-News Monday the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office should have known Head would be in danger from fellow inmates and taken steps to protect him. Aside from co-owning the Hawkins County-based bail bondman company Bad Boys Bonding, Head is also a licensed bounty hunter for the company.
“I just think it’s uncalled for, that the sheriff would let stuff like that go on in jail,” Scarse said. “They need more jailers or something down there. He’s got stitches in his head. He’s got a big knot on the back of his head where they hit him. His elbow is messed up and his leg.
“That’s pretty bad when you’re locked up with people that you put in there.”
Hawkins County Sheriff Roger Christian said Monday the altercation that sent Head to the hospital is under investigation. Christian said Head was placed in segregation after he was returned to the jail from the hospital and will serve the remainder of his sentence there.
Christian acknowledged that it is jail policy to place inmates who might become the target of violence from other inmates in segregation. Christian added, however, that there was no indication that Head’s presence in general population would create a problem.
“We’ve had inmates in the past who we thought might be targets, and we do our best to segregate them as quickly as possible,” Christian said. “If we know for sure there’s going to be a problem in the cell blocks we segregate them immediately because we want to ensure that our inmates — although they’ve committed crimes — are safe. Mr. Head had been in here for five days, and we had no indication that Mr. Head had been targeted by anyone.
“He was in here for five days without incident, and then all of a sudden this happens.”
Shortly after midnight Sunday HCSO corrections officers heard noise coming out of one of the cell blocks and upon inspection discovered that Head had some injuries to his facial area and head, Christian said.
“They went in and talked to him. He told them that he got jumped by a couple of people, and he thinks he knows one of the persons who was involved,” Christian added. “Some of the other inmates gave statements that Tracy Head may have instigated this altercation. We’re going to have to do a little more investigating to get this sorted out.
“I believe he did make a statement that he couldn’t stay in any major cell blocks because of his father’s bonding company.”
In an unrelated case, Head was arrested this past July in Cumberland, Ky., on charges of criminal mischief, burglary and unlawful imprisonment stemming from an incident that occurred while attempting to take an accused bail jumper into custody there. Those charged were dismissed in Harlan (Ky.) County Circuit Court on Aug. 25 after the alleged victims didn’t appear in court.
