Five Female Inmates In Cocke Co Jail Overdose

Wednesday evening five female inmates at the Cocke County jail overdosed on an unknown substance. According to the sheriff’s office, an inmate that had been brought into the jail around noon, had smuggled an unknown substance into the jail. The inmate got the substance into the jail in an area of their body that cannot be detected without a body scanner or x-ray, which the Cocke County jail currently does not have. Nurses in the jail along with corrections officers, Newport Fire Department, Newport Police Department and members of the sheriff’s office and Priority Ambulance and outside county ambulance services responded to the Cocke County jail to administer first response medical to all five female inmates. In total, 17 Nasal Injections and 3 injections of Narcan were administered. Three of the inmates requested transportation to the Newport Medical Center for further observation. All five of the inmates survived.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s office sent their K-9 unit to assist in inspecting the jail afterwards. The Cocke County Sheriff’s office is in the process of getting approved for a grant that will provide a body scanner for the jail. The sheriff’s office is currently investigating the introduction of the unknown substance into the facility and will prosecute the offenders.