A guard at the Jackson County jail is in critical condition after he was allegedly attacked while on duty, according to court documents.
The unidentified guard was allegedly attacked by 20-year-old Johnny R. Dunlap. Dunlap was charged with first degree assault and armed criminal action and faces up to life in prison if convicted, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.
The guard suffered broken bones in his face. Police reviewed the surveillance footage. In the charging documents, detectives say they saw Dunlap "assaulting the victim for approximately eight minutes using several items including a plastic cone to hit the victim. The victim is observed to be unconscious for a length of the attack."
Dunlap was arrested in April by Kansas City police and charged with operating a vehicle in a careless manner and resisting arrest, according to online court records.
This is another in a long sting of problems at the downtown jail. A consultant hired by the county said the jail is in crisis. The Jackson County Legislature and County Executive Frank White are in a battle over whether to build a new jail or try to fix the numerous problems at the current one.
White has appointed a task force to decide how to fix the problem.
Sam Zeff covers education for KCUR and a member of the Kansas News Service. He's also co-host of KCUR's political podcast Statehouse Blend Kansas. Follow him on Twitter @samzeff.
