POLICE OFFICER SUES CCA FOR $14 MILLION 11-01-2009

A NASHVILLE POLICE OFFICER SHOT BY A GREENWOOD INMATE MULTIPLE TIMES WILL RETURN TO LIGHT DUTY MONDAY, BUT NOT BEFORE SUING CORRECTIONS CORPORATION OF AMERICA FOR 14 MILLION DOLLARS. SERGEANT MARK CHESTNUT WAS CRITICALLY INJURED ON JUNE 25TH WHEN HE WAS SHOT FIVE TIMES DURING A TRAFFIC STOP IN NASHVILLE. POLICE LATER ARRESTED JOSEPH JACKSON JUNIOR WHO HAD ESCAPED FROM PRISON CUSTODY WHILE AT A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT IN GREENWOOD AND HIS COUSIN COURTNEY LOGAN WHO IS ACCUSED OF HELPING JACKSON ESCAPE.  ACCORDING TO THE LAWSUIT FILED LATE FRIDAY BY NASHVILLE ATTORNEY DAVID RAYBIN, CCA WAS NEGLIGENT IN FOLLOWING ITS OWN POLICIES TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO AN ESCAPE.  THE LAWSUIT STATES, JACKSON HAD TWO WEEKS NOTICE THAT HE WAS GOING TO AN OFF SITE DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT AND HE WASN'T PREVENTED ACCESS TO CELL PHONES THAT HE USED TO PLAN HIS ESCAPE. THE LAWSUIT ADDS NEW DETAILS ABOUT THE ESCAPE, SAYING THAT JACKSON WHO WAS IN PRISON FOR VIOLENT OFFENSES AND SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE WAS ESCORTED BY AN ARMED FEMALE GUARD AND TWO UNARMED MALE GUARDS. WHEN LOGAN PULLED THE GUN, ACCORDING TO THE LAWSUIT, THE ARMED FEMALE GUARD DID NOT REACH FOR HER GUN BUT INSTEAD HER CELL PHONE. JACKSON THEN ALLEGEDLY TOOK THE GUN AND THE PHONE AND THE TWO FLED TOWARD NASHVILLE. JUST A FEW HOURS LATER, THEY WERE PULLED OVER BY CHESTNUT.  CCA SPOKESMAN STEVE OWEN HAS NOT MADE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE LAWSUIT BECAUSE THE COMPANY HAD NOT BEEN SERVED.