DANDRIDGE, Tenn. – Jefferson County Sheriff Bud McCoig says deputies did nothing wrong in the three inmate deaths at the county jail since January.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reports McCoig held a news conference on Friday where he suggested that a lawsuit by the widow of one of the inmates was meant to damage his chances at re-election.
McCoig is seeking a second term and is being challenged by former Sheriff David Davenport, whom McCoig unseated in the last election.
Speaking of the recent deaths, McCoig said two inmates committed suicide and one died from a heart attack.
McCoig said he has asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the deaths.