Case of Corbin woman accused of biting security guard going to grand jury

The felony assault case against a Corbin woman, who is accused of biting a security guard at Baptist Health Corbin, will be presented to the grand jury.

Following a preliminary hearing Tuesday in Whitley District Court, Judge Cathy Prewitt found probable cause to present the case against Keasha J. Wilson to the grand jury.

The grand jury is scheduled to next meet in July.

At Tuesday’s hearing, the security guard, identified as Paul Buchanan, took the stand to testify.

Under questioning from prosecutors, Buchanan told the court that Wilson was at the hospital on June 9 when she attempted to throw a chair at a nurse, which he was able to deflect to keep it from hitting someone.

After being asked to leave by hospital staff, Wilson was being escorted from the facility by Buchanan.

Buchanan testified it was at that point when Wilson punched, scratched and then bit him on the hand hard enough to break the skin.

While the wound was not severe and did not require stitches, Buchanan said Wilson then licked the wound.

As a result, he has been forced to undergo a series of blood panels and injections.

Corbin Police were called to the scene and took Wilson into custody, charging her with one count of second-degree assault.

At the time of the incident at the hospital, Wilson had been out of the Knox County Detention Center less than a week after pleading guilty to spitting in the face of a sheriff’s deputy.

Wilson had pleaded guilty to charges of fourth-degree assault, menacing and resisting arrest in connection with the June 1 incident at a storage unit on Old Barbourville Hwy.

Deputies were called to the scene after the owner reported finding Wilson living in one of the units.

When deputies told her she would have to leave the premises, she became combative, attempting to strike Deputy Darian Abner in the face.

“While Wilson was on the ground she was holding onto a chain link fence and would not let go,” That’s when she spit in Abner’s face,” Deputy Sam Mullins wrote in the arrest citation.

Wilson was initially charged with third-degree assault on a police officer.

In return for the guilty plea in Knox County, Wilson was sentenced to 30 days in jail. She was given credit for the two days she had served, with the balance conditionally discharged.

If convicted of second-degree assault, Wilson faces five to ten years in prison.

As the Knox County charge is a misdemeanor, if the county attorney were to file a motion to have her serve the remainder of her sentence, it would run concurrently with the prison term in Whitley County.

Wilson is being held without bond in the Whitley County Detention Center.