51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� Mayor Tishaura O. Jones is calling for an investigation into a Friday incident in which the city鈥檚 newly elected sheriff handcuffed one of Jones鈥� top jail administrators for refusing the sheriff access to a detainee.聽

Jones said Sheriff Alfred Montgomery was wrong to respond the way he did.

鈥淭hat is the No. 1 thing that I鈥檓 concerned about 鈥� about handcuffing people,鈥� she said in an interview Saturday. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just wrong on I don鈥檛 know how many levels.鈥�

Late Monday, city police said that after an initial investigation by the department, they had referred the matter to the FBI.

Police began on Thursday investigating illegal sexual conduct between a sheriff鈥檚 deputy and a detainee at the downtown jail.

On Friday, Montgomery went to the jail seeking access to the detainee. Montgomery said he had opened an internal investigation into the deputy, who was no longer employed by the sheriff鈥檚 office.

But when Deputy Corrections Commissioner Tammy Ross denied Montgomery access to the detainee, the sheriff and deputies responded by handcuffing her.

The action was a major departure from the way the city works: Unlike his counterparts across the state, the sheriff of 51黑料 does not run a jail or perform general law enforcement.

The city Corrections Division oversees the jail. The police department handles law enforcement.

Sheriff鈥檚 deputies transport prisoners to and from court, provide courthouse security and serve legal papers, such as eviction notices and protection orders.

State law only allows deputies to do law enforcement to their customary duties.

Montgomery and his lieutenants insisted Friday that they acted lawfully. They said they went to the jail because they believed evidence relevant to their investigation was at risk of being destroyed. Montgomery said Ross got in the way and faced the consequences.

鈥淭his is the result of denying the sheriff鈥檚 office access,鈥� Montgomery told KSDK (Channel 5) on Friday night. 鈥淵ou do not deny the sheriff, the top law enforcement officer in the county, access to the jail of his detainees.鈥�

Montgomery also said it was illegal for police to talk to detainees in the jail without his permission.

Jones disagreed.

鈥淭he sheriff鈥檚 office is responsible for protecting courts and transporting prisoners, the tax sale that goes on on the steps (of the city courthouse), and serving eviction papers,鈥� she said on Saturday. 鈥淭hat is my interpretation of the job.鈥�

Jones last year endorsed Montgomery for sheriff against two-term incumbent Vernon Betts, saying she was tired of Betts criticizing her in the media.

Asked if she had second thoughts, she quoted the 1994 movie 鈥淔orrest Gump.鈥�

鈥淪ometimes with elected officials or people you hire, they run a good campaign, and then they get in office, and sometimes things change,鈥� she said. 鈥淟ife鈥檚 like a box of chocolates. You never know what you鈥檙e going to get.鈥�

Montgomery did not respond Monday to a request for comment.