Inmates charged in assault filmed inside Vance County jail and posted online, causing security concerns for sheriff

The Vance sheriff said the incident shows the need for sweeping changes at the jail.

Michael Allen, Tyren Hargrove, Darrius Harris, Clydarious Henderson, Trevon Murphy, and Evean Perry are all charged with assaulting inmate Jammee Terry.

Video appears to show the men punching Terry while he’s lying on the floor. The clip was posted to Tiktok.

The incident was one of three assaults inside the Vance County jail in the month of December.

“I want a new jail, I still stand strong on that,” Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame told WRAL News.

Brame said the existing Vance jail facility isn’t secure enough to prevent fights, with inmates able to move around inside too freely.

He’s called on the county to approve a new detention center in their upcoming budget for the next fiscal year.

Until then, they’ve been trying to take steps to cut down on contraband.

“We’re having new doors installed, we’re having new cameras, put in the budget for new camera systems,” Brame said.

Brame told WRAL News the jail’s security system isn’t strong enough to constantly monitor for cell phones or other items making their way inside.

But he also said his own jail staff are part of the problem.

“Do you think, to be clear, that any staff played a role in a phone making its way in in this incident?” WRAL News asked the sheriff in a phone interview.

“Oh God yes,” Brame replied. “I know that they’re bringing it in.”

The Vance sheriff is also calling for higher salaries for jail staffers, saying it would cut down on illegal behavior.

“You get what you pay for,” Brame said. “Staffing, they’re not doing their job.”

“You’ve got to pay a salary to hire and attract and retain good quality people,” he continued.

Brame said an architectural firm has been working on a plan for a new jail. He hoped to have a cost estimate before the county’s budget meetings conclude in March.