HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — Carroll County has denied a request from the Carroll County Observer for surveillance footage from Austin Drummond’s detention at the Carroll County Jail during his trial last week, citing state law protecting government building security records.
The Observer made the request after claims surfaced online alleging Drummond described poor conditions during his stay at the jail.
According to a social media post from another outlet, a source said Drummond reported being placed in a room with no bunk, forced to sleep on the floor, and kept under a light that remained on 24 hours a day. The post also cited an estimate that Drummond received only about three hours of sleep total between Wednesday and Friday of his trial.
The Observer has not independently verified these claims.
The Observer filed the public records request seeking surveillance footage depicting Drummond from his arrival at the jail through his departure in order to verify the validity of his claims.
County Attorney Robert T. Keeton III denied the surveillance footage request in a written response, citing Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-504(m)(1)(D) and (E).
Those provisions classify any records as confidential that would identify “structural or operational vulnerability” at a government building, as well as surveillance recordings generally, with an exception for footage depicting “an act or incident involving public safety or security or possible criminal activity.”
Keeton’s letter said the requested footage does not fall under that exception and would only be obtainable through subpoena in a civil or criminal proceeding.
