Detention Officer J. Thompson has been employed with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office since 2011. In this time he applied for, and successfully completed, training to become a member of the Law Enforcement Detention Center’s Special Response Team. Due to his extensive training in Martial Arts, Military background as a Combat Marine and strong work ethic he was chosen to work in the Special Needs and Management Unit. This area houses offenders that are considered dangerous due to their charges, assaultive behavior or mental health conditions.

Detention Officer Thompson has distinguished himself by a keen sense of duty and attention to detail. On May 20th 2014, Detention Officer Thompson was preparing to escort an inmate from the Special Needs and Management Unit for transfer to Central Prison to begin serving his sentence for murder. The inmate had been involved in several officer assaults and made numerous threats to staff. While being removed from his assigned cell, the inmate attempted to pass a bag to another inmate housed in the same area. The inmate was extremely upset that Detention Officer Thompson would not allow him to pass the bag and contents and was removed before the situation escalated.

Detention Officer Thompson intercepted and secured the bag. The contents contained a homemade knife known as a “shank”, approximately 5 inches long, 3 inches wide. The shank was made from a broken piece of shower tile and its blade sharpened to inflict massive damage. Detention Officer Thompson prevented a potentially life threatening situation against inmates and staff. Detention Officer Thompson never hesitated to perform his duty, a testament to his strong work ethic and desire to make a safe environment for staff and the inmate population.