From The News Journal -
A Woodbine man, who allegedly cut/stabbed corrections officers at the Whitley County Detention Center during an incident Thursday morning, was on parole for assaulting a probation and parole officer in Bell County in 2022, according to governmental records.
Williamsburg Police are planning to charge Dylan Knuckles, 22, with five counts of second-degree assault in connection with the April 18th incident at the Whitley County Detention Center, according to Williamsburg Assistant Police Chief Brandon White, who is the investigating officer in the case.
White said that the charges were recommended by Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronnie Bowling after he reviewed the facts of the case. The case will likely be presented directly to the Whitley County Grand Jury rather than Knuckles being charged prior to his being indicted.
The incident happened about 9 a.m. as Kentucky Probation and Parole Officers brought in a parole violator to be booked into the Whitley County Detention Center, according to a detention center press release. The detention center’s website indicates that Knuckles was booked at 9:11 a.m. Thursday and Police confirmed that the man listed in the jail’s press release is Knuckles.
“Shortly thereafter, while being processed, the arrestee became irate, agitated, and aggressive toward officers. A struggle ensued, and two officers sustained lacerations. Three other officers received minor injuries,” the release stated.
All were treated and released at Baptist Health Corbin. The inmate sustained some hand lacerations, and was transported for medical treatment. No one involved sustained any serious injuries, according to the release.
White said that two jail staff were stabbed, two others sustained possible internal injuries to the rib area, and another suffered a possible broken finger.
“There were five people injured. It is extremely lucky that one of the strikes with that edged weapon didn’t damage something that would have caused permanent or fatal injury or something. We were very lucky it was nothing life threatening, but it was very serious though,” White said.
White described the weapon as being a folding box cutter like instrument that used disposable razor blades. He confirmed that Knuckles did not have the weapon on him when he entered the jail.
Previous offense
According to the Kentucky Online Offender Lookup (KOOL) website, Knuckles was on parole at the time of his arrest in connection with a pair of cases out of Bell County.
He received a three-year prison sentence in connection with a 2022 third-degree assault case, the website indicated.
On Feb. 9, 2022, Knuckles intentionally caused or attempted to cause physical injury to Kentucky Probation and Parole Officer Theisha Smith by resisting arrest and kicking with his feet to keep probation and parole officers from placing him into a car. Smith got her armed pinned between Knuckles and the car door, according to his indictment.
The date of his conviction in that case was Sept. 12, 2022, according to the KOOL website.
Knuckles received a five-year prison sentence in connection with a 2021 first-degree fleeing or evading police (on foot) charge. The incident happened on April 13, 2021, and the date of his conviction in the case was April 18, 2022, according to the KOOL website.
Wilson was placed on supervised parole starting Nov. 21, 2023, and his supervision was scheduled to end on Sept. 11, 2025. He was being supervised out of the Williamsburg parole and probation office and his risk assessment rating was “moderate.”
E.P.O. issued
In an unconnected case, about 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Whitley District Judge Fred White signed an Emergency Protective Order (E.P.O.) against Dylan Knuckles.
The E.P.O. was based upon a petition for an order of protection that was taken out by his mother in connection with an April 17 incident, which was the day before the detention center attacks.
“My son is 22 years old. He has been out of jail for 5 months now. I let them release him to me to live (with) me and (in) his stepfather’s home and for the past month every day he has done nothing but terrorize us, threatening us and broke my cell phone last night and choked me and saying he would make sure we pass away without knowing,” his mother alleged in the petition for the order of protection. She alleged in the petition that her son has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and insomnia.
“He is very violent and destructive to me and his stepfather breaking our door, yelling, screaming, cussing me and his stepfather. I am afraid he will do something to kill me. I don’t want him anywhere around me. I am scared for my life as so is his stepfather,” his mother wrote in the petition.
White also signed an order requiring Dylan Knuckles to surrender any and all firearms due to the E.P.O., which is a typical procedure.
Dylan Knuckles was ordered to appear in Whitley District Court on May 14 at 11 a.m. in connection with the E.P.O. case.