Arkansas Sheriff: Inmate Had Arm Broken on Purpose

The Baxter County sheriff says a jail inmate who claimed he broke his arm in a fall actually had another inmate break it so he could be released from custody.

Sheriff John Montgomery said Friday that a review of security video showed that 26-year-old Cody Stradford kicked a seated 23-year-old Henry Nielson on Thursday.

When confronted with the video evidence, Montgomery says both men acknowledged the scheme.

The sheriff says Stradford is charged with felony battery. He also says both men face misdemeanor charges of impairing operation of a vital public facility and obstructing governmental operations.

Nielson was being held for a probation violation and Stradford was awaiting transfer to Marion County, Ark.

Montgomery says Nielson will be formally charged after he is released from the hospital.