Below is Sheriff Jones’s statement in full.
June 4, 2025
Monroe County Tennessee SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Monroe County Sheriff Tommy J. Jones, II
On Thursday, February 6, 2025, Elijah Lester Isbill was arrested by the Madisonville Police Department after police officers were dispatched to a call for service.
The body worn camera depicted that the Madisonville Police Officer displayed professionalism and attempted multiple times to have Mr. Isbill leave with his daughter, Ms. Windy Duncan, or Monroe County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for a medical evaluation. This event had taken place at approximately 12:23 pm on February 6th at a local business. During the encounter, Mr. Isbill can be heard slurring his speech, and continues to attempt to re-enter his motor vehicle after being requested to exit by the officer.
Mr. Isbill became upset and made threats that the officers would need the ambulance if they tried to put him in it. A shotgun was mentioned by Mr. Isbill and the police officer had prevented Mr. Isbill from obtaining the gun, and removed it from the vehicle and secured it in their patrol vehicle. During the encounter, Ms. Windy Duncan can be observed on scene with her husband, who was recording the incident on his cellular phone. Mr. Isbill can be heard refusing to leave with Ms. Duncan or medical services.
The police officer was advised that Ms. Duncan had power of attorney over him, and later the officer asked what the EMS (Emergency Medical Service) policy was on the power of attorney and an EMS worker responded by advising the officer that the power of attorney does not work because Mr. Isbill was lucid, and advised that if Mr. Isbill was arrested he would have to be taken to be processed in and evaluated. Mr. Isbill appeared unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech, as observed in the body camera. Ms. Windy Duncan, who does have power of attorney for Mr. Isbill according to her statement, signed Against Medical Advice (AMA) refusing medical care with Monroe County EMS for her father, Mr. Elijah Lester Isbill. Mr. Isbill was placed under arrest and transported to the Monroe County Justice Center.
Mr. Isbill was physically escorted to a cell and seated by corrections deputies. Mr. Isbill was not cooperative with staff and began shouting and falling in the cell. Mr. Isbill was placed in a restraint chair in the presence of medical staff to prevent further harming himself or any future harm to corrections staff.
Though the video of Mr. Isbill being placed in the chair appears harsh, Mr. Isbill was a harm to himself and the restraint chair is used to help calm an individual and keep them from further harming themselves or others. The hood placed on the individual in the video is known as a spit mask, and the mask does not obstruct breathing and is made up of mesh material. This spit mask is placed on an inmate to prevent the inmate from spitting on staff. All inmate’s medical issues are monitored and controlled by a third party contracted medical group.
Ms. Windy Duncan has recently posted on Facebook that her father was gone for twenty minutes before anyone even noticed. Though I am not a medical professional, from hours of reviewing the camera footage, I observed that Mr. Isbill stopped moving at approximately 11:07:49 and a corrections officer entered the room at approximately two and a half minutes later and checked on Mr. Isbill. At that point, officers and medical staff began removing straps and performed life saving measures including CPR. Mr. Isbill was then transported to the Blount Memorial Hospital, where he passed away a short time later.
While reviewing the cameras on this incident, a corrections deputy was observed making an inappropriate gesture to the camera in the cell. That corrections deputy is no longer employed with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was notified at the request of the Tenth Judicial District Attorney’s Office and an investigation was launched into the incident. I do understand the negative perception that the public received by the utilization of the restraint chair, but it is an approved restraint device that is necessary in situations that prevent self harm by an inmate.
It is common practice to utilize a padded room instead of the chair first, to prevent self harm. However, the padded room had sustained damages and a work order had been submitted to the Monroe County Maintenance Department on November 6, 2024 and was not addressed or fixed properly by the county until March 21, 2025, after this incident. The chair restraining Mr. Isbill was stationed, approximately twenty-five feet from the booking counter, inside a cell monitored by a camera, as well as staff that are within hearing and visual from the booking area. This cell is also visible by passing staff members.
From the time, I took the office as your Sheriff, I have promised transparency. I have requested a release of all video footage pertaining to this incident to the media outlets to show the public the full
story.
