Two Montana inmates have been charged with attempted murder after allegedly attacking corrections officers with makeshift weapons at the Yellowstone County jail. The incident, which took place on Saturday night, left one officer with stab wounds to the head and has raised serious concerns about inmate violence and jail security.
The inmates, Myron Scott Goes Ahead, 20, and Ashtin Zant Glen, 18, appeared in court via video from the Yellowstone County jail on Tuesday, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges. The attack was captured on security cameras, but Sheriff Mike Linder has declined to release the footage.
According to Prosecutor Hojae Chung from the Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office, one of the inmates used a makeshift knife to repeatedly stab one of the officers in the back of the head, causing severe bleeding. The injured officer was treated at a hospital and released later that night, and is expected to make a full recovery.
Judge Bradley Kneeland set bond at $1 million for Goes Ahead and $500,000 for Glen. Both inmates face additional weapons charges and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted on the attempted murder charges.
Goes Ahead was already in custody awaiting trial on two murder charges stemming from a shooting last year in Billings that resulted in the deaths of a man and an infant. Authorities allege that Goes Ahead and another individual stole ammunition from a sporting goods store and then fired multiple shots into the victims’ house. The infant died from suffocation after the man carrying him was shot and fell on top of the child.
Glen was also being held on charges including attempted murder, stemming from an incident last year where he allegedly shot and wounded a man during a gunfight and later fired at deputies while fleeing the scene.
The attack on the corrections officers occurred in the Class B area of the Yellowstone County Detention Facility, one of four units that house violent and high-risk inmates. According to charging documents, a female corrections officer was conducting a security check when she and a nearby male officer were attacked by the inmates, who were armed with homemade knives made out of sharpened toothbrushes with cloth handles.
The charging documents state that Goes Ahead rushed the male officer, pushing him into a corridor and then punching him in the face before stabbing him in the back of the head. Glen is accused of grabbing the female officer by her ponytail and attempting to stab her in the back of the head.
Two individuals, identified in court records only by their initials, intervened in the attack. One of them put Glen in a chokehold, rendering him unconscious before tossing him to the ground, while the other ran to assist the male officer. It is unclear from the documents whether these individuals were inmates or jail staff.
Sheriff Linder acknowledged the challenges of managing a full jail with limited staff and emphasized the need to ensure the safety of both inmates and officers. He noted that the security video shows the attacks were unprovoked and that the suspects used both their fists and improvised weapons during the assault.
Prosecutors also revealed that a note with a map of the jail housing unit, marked with a red circle where the attack occurred, was recovered from Goes Ahead, indicating that the attack was pre-planned.
The incident has highlighted the dangers faced by corrections officers and the need for improved security measures in jails. Sheriff Linder expressed his concern for the safety of his staff and the challenges of managing violent inmates with limited resources.
Goes Ahead and Glen are expected to appear for arraignment on the charges. If convicted, they could face life sentences for the attempted murder of the corrections officers.
Source: Associated Press, Fox News, MTN News
