3 men charged in 'savage' assault on detention officers at Lincoln County Jail

LINCOLNTON, N.C. — Three inmates at the Lincoln County Jail have been charged after an attack on four detention officers Saturday night.

The assault happened around 9:30 p.m. when deputies said Larry Wade Stanley was "acting unruly and refusing to go back to his cell."

(Larry Stanley, Dustin Ensley, Thomas McDonald)

Officials said as officers were moving Stanley back to his cell, inmates Thomas McDonald and Dustin Ensley came behind the officers and began assaulting them.

Lincoln County Sheriff Bill Beam told Channel 9 reporter Ken Lemon four detention officers were injured, including one with a concussion and one who needed stitches in their mouth.

The prison workers were treated and released from a hospital.

Beam described the assault on the detention officers as "savage."

The sheriff said the attack seemed to be over spite alone.

Stanley, 43, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault by strangulation, conspiracy, and four counts of assault on emergency personnel. He is being held under no bond.

McDonald, 24, and Ensley, 29, were each charged with four counts of assault on emergency personnel. They were each placed under a $100,000 secured bond.

Stanley was in jail on multiple drug, weapons and fraud charges, while McDonald was jailed on drug possession charges, and Ensley on stolen vehicle charges.

Cox Media Group