RC Deputy Terminated in Assault Incident

Chief Deputy Warren Sprouse fired Deputy Jamie Dunn this week after an incident at the jail.

Dunn allegedly hit a handcuffed inmate,  arrested in a domestic violence call and known to him from his substitute teacher days, after the inmate called his wife, a CHASE teacher, an obscene name and made a violent sexual threat towards Dunn’s daughter. The suspect supposedly was treated for a broken jaw.

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) upon reviewing the video obtained from the jail issued a warrant for Dunn for assault. Upon advice from legal counsel, Dunn turned himself in to Polk County, N.C. Sheriff’s Department.

While Dunn does not deny an incident that he described as happening during a blackout, he was never given the opportunity to tell his side of the story before the county terminated his employment.

The originating domestic violence call that Saturday night came in at approximately 8:39 p.m. Dunn was on duty that night despite the fact that his mother had died unexpectedly the day before. Dunn felt obligated to show up for work since the night patrol was frequently understaffed. Sheriff Chris Francis had previously told him he was needed on patrol. Yet, the grief of his mom’s passing weighed heavy on his mind.

At the scene of the alleged domestic violence, Dunn recognized the young woman who answered the door from a call the month before. Then she had been obviously beaten up including swollen eyes, but no charges had been made.

According to Dunn, this time, while talking with the young woman outside, the male occupant of the house came out and shouted “You done talked enough,” and proceeded to grab her arm and pull her back into the house.

Witnessing this physical assault, Dunn detained the man and put him in handcuffs into the back seat of the patrol car. There the suspect wriggled his handcuffs in front of him and began kicking the back window with great force.

Upon arrival at the jail, the suspect began threatening and intimidating others as well.

Dunn was aware of the county’s various assistance programs and had spoken to his supervisor about getting grief assistance.  He had a zoom consultation with a psychiatrist on Monday and a follow-up visit with his physician who signed Dunn’s papers for a Family Medical Leave. Dunn intended to turn those papers in when his supervisor met with him. Instead, he was terminated.

Dunn has over 20+ years experience in law enforcement and has served in various capacities such as the Narcotics Unit, Detective, Patrol, and the Interdiction Team.