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Inmate charged with battery of 2nd correctional officer

COLUMBUS, Ind. (WISH) — An inmate at the Bartholomew County Jail has been charged a second time with battery of a correctional officer.

The sheriff said overcrowding in the local jail in increasing risks for inmates and correctional officers.

In the latest incident, the prosecutor charged 29-year-old Dustin Adam Leatherbury, of Columbus, with battery resulting in bodily injury to a public safety official. The felony carries a potential sentence of one to six years in prison.

On June 28, the county sheriff’s office said, Leatherbury battered correctional officer Kyle Weaver in the Bartholomew County Jail. His injuries did not require medical treatment.

Leatherbury also stands accused of punching and spitting in the face of correctional officer James Oldham on Jan. 31, authorities said. Two felony charges were filed in that incident.

Leatherbury has been in the jail since November, when he was arrested on a failure-to-appear warrant for auto theft. He is being held in lieu of a $122,500 bond.

“Overcrowding in our jail poses not only greater risk to inmates but also increases risk to our correctional officers who must work in overcrowded conditions”, said Sheriff Matthew A. Myers in a news release. “As our inmate population grows, our Correction’s staff is required to provide more and more services. This overcrowding causes tempers to flare. We continue to see significant increases in our jail population and I am sure we are not going to see a reduction anytime soon. Regardless of the number of inmates housed in BCJ, we will not allow members of our jail staff to be abused.”

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