Inmate dies after incident in Washington County Detention Center

Published 4:19 pm Thursday, June 22, 2023

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JONESBOROUGH – An altercation between two inmates in a security cell at the Washington County Detention Center (WCDC) led to the death of one inmate.

Johnny Slagle, 75, of Telford, died June 19 at an area hospital from injuries sustained during the altercation with Daniel Alejandro Mira, 29, of Coral Springs, Fla. New charges are pending against Mira, who was originally booked into WCDC by East Tennessee State University’s Department of Public Safety on charges relating to a burglary.

According to Sheriff Keith Sexton, deputies responded to the report of a physical altercation inside a cell on the evening of June 14. WCDC medical staff responded to the cell and made the determination that Slagle needed to be transported to the hospital for treatment.

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WCSO charged Mira with attempted second-degree murder after the altercation. At the request of Sheriff Sexton, the District Attorney General’s Office asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations to assist with the investigation.

Mira is currently being held in the Washington County Detention Center. New charges are pending as the investigation continues.