On May 11, the Loudon County Grand Jury indicted inmate Daniel Stinnett on charges of Attempted First Degree Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Especially Aggravated Kidnapping stemming from an April 24 incident at the Loudon County Jail. Stinnett allegedly entered the nurse’s office unannounced, closed and locked the door, overturned a medication cart (which held the door keys), and barricaded the entrance with a desk. He then took the female nurse hostage and strangled her with an elastic waistband removed from a pair of boxers.

The situation lasted an extended period as corrections officers and responding law enforcement from Loudon PD, Lenoir City PD, and other sheriff’s deputies gathered in the hallway. Officers eventually forced entry, overpowered Stinnett, and secured the room. The nurse was transported to the ER for evaluation and treatment.

Stinnett was already incarcerated awaiting a September jury trial on charges of stabbing his live-in girlfriend to death in 2024. The nurse, whose services are contracted through an outside agency, has since returned to work at the jail. She expressed appreciation for the support from Loudon County Sheriff’s Office staff, particularly Jail Captain Dusty Langley, and for the officers’ efforts to resolve the incident without further harm. Stinnett is scheduled for arraignment on the new charges on May 26 in Loudon County Criminal Court.