Oklahoma County jail employee fired, arrested after fight leads to inmate death
An Oklahoma County Detention Center employee was fired and arrested recently after failing to prevent a homicide in the jail, officials allege.
According to reports from the OCDC, an altercation between two inmates occurred on April 25. During the altercation, a third inmate nearby made four separate phone calls to the camera operations center, notifying them of the sounds of an assault.
The employee only answered two of the calls and, on both occasions, failed to notify security staff or supervisors of the altercation that was happening, according to the OCDC.
As a result, 20 minutes had elapsed before the assaulted inmate, 40-year-old Clinton Pike, was found injured during a routine check by another officer. The inmate later died at the hospital as a result of the injuries.
The assaulting cellmate was arrested and accused of murder, OCDC reports. The employee, a 62-year-old woman hired by the jail in 2023, was fired and then arrested for second-degree manslaughter and willful neglect to perform duty. The Oklahoman is not naming the suspects because they have not been formally charged.
"Negligence that jeopardizes the safety of individuals in our custody will not be tolerated," said Paul Timmons, Chief Executive Officer of the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority. "Our commitment to maintaining the security and welfare of all inmates and staff requires that every employee uphold the highest standards of professionalism. When they do not, they will be held accountable to the fullest extent."
More: Woman's death reported at Oklahoma County jail. Rachel Nalley is sixth inmate to die in 2025
This is the seventh inmate death in 2025 for the jail. OCDC reported seven inmate deaths by year-end in 2024.
The jail has had more than 50 inmate deaths since the trust took over on July 1, 2020. A yearlong investigation by The Oklahoman in 2023 found that the aging facility had become one of the deadliest jails in the nation since the trust oversight began.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma County jail employee fired, arrested after inmate death
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