'Bible belt' trouble for jail guard

Dan Nienaber

MANKATO — A Blue Earth County Jail guard is facing criminal charges for allegedly thumping an inmate with a Bible.

James Lee Sheppard, 56, has been charged with two gross misdemeanors for allegedly hitting an inmate with a Bible before grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against a set of steel bars in the jail, the criminal complaint said. Sheppard is scheduled to appear in court April 26 for the charges of mistreatment of an inmate and misconduct by a public officer.

The incident was investigated by a Mankato police officer at about 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 8. Officer Allen Schmidt reported he watched a video recording with jail staff that showed Sheppard entering a jail unit earlier that night and confronting 26-year-old inmate Jeremy Hansen.

Sheppard takes a book from Hansen, which Hansen later reported was his Bible, and slams it on a table, Schmidt reported.

“Custody officer Sheppard then takes the book and strikes inmate Hansen in the right side of the face with the book,” the complaint said. “The book then falls to the table in front of inmate Hansen.”

A discussion continues between Sheppard and Hansen as Sheppard walks away, according to Schmidt’s description of the video. Then Sheppard walks back toward Hansen.

“Custody officer Sheppard then forcefully grasps onto inmate Hansen and pushes him backward toward the detention cell bars,” the complaint said.

A television attached to the wall partially blocks that portion of the incident from the video camera, Schmidt reported. Hansen later told investigators Sheppard grabbed him by the throat, a statement that was backed by other inmates in the unit. Hansen also said he was reading his Bible after the television in the unit was turned off because the inmates were being too loud.

The Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Department is in charge of the jail. Dennis McCoy, Blue Earth County administrator, said the incident was initially reported by Sheppard, himself. McCoy also said Sheppard was placed on administrative leave while the incident was investigated, and the decision about what charges would be filed was made by prosecutors in Brown County to avoid a conflict of interest.

“He knew he violated policy and, to his credit, he turned himself in,” McCoy said.

Sheppard, who couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday, also was named as a defendant in a 1996 wrongful death civil lawsuit involving an inmate who hanged himself with a bed sheet in the jail. The inmate’s family sued, claiming jail staff had been told by the Mankato police officer who arrested the inmate that he was possibly suicidal.

A jury ruled in favor of the county, but the case was sent back by the Minnesota Supreme Court. Court records do not say how that case was resolved.