Arrow filled with drugs shot at Fayette County Jail
Uniontown police are investigating after an arrow filled with contraband appears to have been shot at the Fayette County Jail.
The Fayette County warden, John Lenkey, told KDKA-TV an investigation started late last week after jail staff found the arrow outside of the jail.
"Our staff was doing routine security perimeter checks around the institution and stumbled upon an arrow laying in the grass directly below one of our rec yard windows," Lenkey said. "When my staff first recovered it, we didn't really think much of it. It was just kind of weird."
Lenkey said it didn't take long to realize why it was there and what could be inside of it.
"We believe they tried to shoot the arrow. It's actually a bolt from a crossbow. It's an arrow, but they call it a bolt from a crossbow, and we speculate that they tried to shoot it through one of our rec yard windows while the inmates were in there so they could recover the bolt/arrow," Lenkey said.
He said his team did a sweep of the jail on the inside and outside and began going through surveillance footage.
"We have it (on video) where it struck either the window or the building, and it's falling from the air and we were able to screenshot an image of the arrow falling from top of the building, halfway down to the bottom, to the ground," Lenkey said.
Lenkey told KDKA-TV he believes multiple suspects are involved.
"We are thinking it was from a moving vehicle or a vehicle that paused, because it's not very far from the Route 21 to the facility," Lenkey said.
He said the windows of the jail are made of titanium and can't be penetrated. He said he believes the shooters missed the window based on a chip in the brick under the window of the jail.
"We are definitely taking this very serious, and we plan on pressing charges to the full extent we can," Lenkey said.
Lenkey said had the arrow made its way into the jail, it could have been life-threatening to inmates and staff.
"At a high rate of speed, that projectile, it's very dangerous. Not just because it contained contraband inside of the arrow but the arrow could strike an individual and death could be a factor or serious injury," Lenkey said.
Lenkey said he believes the suspects had been in communication with an inmate inside the jail to know where and when to shoot it.
"There was definitely someone inside and definitely someone outside corresponding to make this happen because this has to be done at a certain time when the inmates were actually out in the rec yard because if that arrow or bolt would have made it through and out there, our officers do rounds and inspect these yards constantly as they do rounds and it would have been noticed. So, the inmate had to be in there to recover it, or inmates," Lenkey said.
This isn't the first time inmates have tried to smuggle drugs into the jail.
In March, video shows inmates trying to reel in drugs from outside the jail building using headphone wires and an envelope.
Since then, Lenkey said the jail has strengthened security.
"I would like to remind them that this is a state-of-the-art facility with dedicated employees that is doing everything within our power and our knowledge to prevent instances of contraband getting in here," Lenkey said. "Our job here is to maintain safety and security. That's our biggest focus, is focus on security and the safety of the individuals that work here, along with the individuals that reside here."
What type of drugs were inside the arrow remains unknown.
"They have to be sent out to the lab and be tested. It appeared to be a white powdery substance. That's what it is. But as far as confirming what it is, we won't know that until it comes back from the lab," Lenkey said.
An internal investigation into the incident is ongoing.
So far, no charges have been filed.
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