Seven inmates facing charges in SFC Jail fights

Three suspects awaiting space in ADC; two facing murder trials

Several inmates at the St. Francis County Jail are facing additional charges following fights that occurred inside the county’s detention center last week.

Three of the inmates charged in the fights have already been sentenced to prison but are still being held locally while awaiting bed space in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Two others are awaiting trials on murder charges.

The St. Francis County Sheriff’s Department reported the fights occurred in separate jail pods on Wednesday and Thursday last week, resulting in four inmates being treated for injuries, including one who is also charged in the disturbances.

According to a press release issued by the SFCSD, on Wednesday, one inmate “punched” another inmate, which caused another fight to break out in the same pod where the group was being held. Three inmates were reportedly injured in this disturbance. Deputies identified the inmates as Daniel Hall, 29, Colton Brewer, 28, and Demetrius Hunter, 33, who is also facing charges in the fights.

Another fight was reported on Thursday in a separate pod where two inmates allegedly “jumped” another inmate, Tony Gall, 35, causing injuries that required him to be transported to Regional One where he was treated and later released that evening, according to deputies.

Deputies reported seven inmates are facing additional charges related to the fights.

Jimmy Holmes, 38, who was being held on child support charges, is now also charged with third-degree battery, a misdemeanor. Online court records show Holmes appeared in St. Francis County Circuit Court on Thursday last week where he was placed on 36 months probation after pleading guilty to possession of firearms by certain person.

Rayvern Thomas, 23, is charged with second-degree battery from the fight at the jail. Thomas, according to online court records, was sentenced in October to 10 years in the ADC on drug charges.

Devunte Moore, 21, was also charged with second-degree battery in the jail fight. Deputies said he was also awaiting space in the ADC on drug charges.

Hunter, 33, who was sentenced in December last year to 10 years in the ADC on drug charges, is now facing an additional charge of seconddegree battery in the first fight.

Jonathan Paulman, 32, who is being held in the detention

center on a murder charge, is now also facing a second-degree battery charge in the attacks on Hall, Brewer and Hunter.

Nathaniel Martinez, 21, and Dequan Smith, 21, are charged with first-degree battery in the second fight, during which Gall was injured.

Martinez is charged with capital murder, and several other felonies, in the shooting death of an elderly woman last year near Madison. The state is seeking the death penalty in the case for which the trial is currently scheduled to begin on March 27 in SFC Circuit Court. Martinez’s trial date was set on Feb. 3.

Smith was being held on aggravated robbery charges in connection with robberies at Dollar General stores in Palestine and Marianna.

Brodie Johnson • Times-Herald The annual Special Olympics Arkansas Polar Plunge took place at Village Creek State Park’s Lake Dunn on Saturday. A large number of participants took the plunge. Above, Justice Jackson dives into the water while her partner, Hannah Hooper, makes her way into the water as they plunge. Jackson received the award for the most money raised by an individual, prior to taking the plunge. At right, Tony Astin arrives at the plunge with donuts in his Krispy Kreme costume. Astin won the best individual costume award during the event which raised over $5,700 for Special Olympics. More pictures can be found on Page 6 of today’s Times-Herald.