A teenager who stabbed a guard at the juvenile detention center last year will now be charged as an adult.
Christopher Allen Darden was charged as an adult and sentenced to 16 years for stabbing a White River Regional Juvenile Detention Center guard during an attempted escape. The sentence was handed down by 16th Judicial Circuit Judge John Dan Kemp. The incident occurred at 5:10 a.m. when Darden (he was 15 at the time) and a 17 year old juvenile were out of their cells for showers and breakfast.
Darden attacked Jailer Jesse Autry with a wooden shank, attempting to stab him in the face. When Autry tried to restrain him he was hit in the face by the 17 year old that had followed Darden and he continued hitting Autry, the 17 year old then stabbed jail Matron Bianca Tate in the back twice. A third jailer, Scott Wilson attempted to control the boys by using pepper spray and was attacked by the 17-year old. Wilson then pulled out his Taser and when confronted by a Taser the boys obeyed orders and returned to their cells. Peggy Kendrick, administrator said several wooden pieces and the metal frame of a dust mop were found under one of the boy’s mattresses after the fight.
The 17-year old is from Jefferson County. He was being held at the facility while appealing a murder charge and had also been in a fight with the jailers a month earlier. Darden, from Drew County, was being held on charges of attempted murder.
Both boys were charged with attempted escape and three counts of aggravated assault. According to the plea agreement Darden was sentenced to serve 16 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. At the time the article was printed the 17-year old was in Alexander, according to Kendrick, and had not faced charges, but will be tried as an adult.
Of the three jailers attacked only Autry remains working for the detention center.
