Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — July 8, 2025 — A Craighead County inmate faces another charge after police said she beat a jail employee after refusing to comply with the employee’s demands, causing several injuries.
According to the affidavit, on July 6, Ashli Blankenship of the Craighead County Detention Center noticed that 31-year-old Sommer Jean Golliday of Blytheville was not on her assigned bunk. Blankenship told her to return to the bunk two or three times. While Golliday argued, she eventually returned but continued to argue about getting on the bunk.
As this was happening around 12:45 a.m. while other inmates were trying to sleep, Blankenship decided it would be best to remove Golliday from the unit to calm her down. When instructed, Golliday initially refused but eventually complied, saying she would do so at her leisure.
The affidavit said Blankenship noticed Golliday was wearing a makeshift headband, which is considered contraband. When Blankenship tried to remove the headband, Golliday punched her in the face and proceeded to strike her several times in the head, shoving her to the floor. There, Golliday continued, stomping on Blankenship’s leg.
The affidavit said that during the attack, Blankenship had visible injuries to her head and knee.
On July 7, Judge Tommy Fowler found probable cause to charge Golliday with second-degree battery (injures police, fire, correctional employees while acting in the line of duty).
Golliday is being held on a $150,000 cash/surety bond, awaiting her next court appearance scheduled for Aug. 21. The affidavit noted a prior assault on a corrections officer and a “long violent history.”
Online jail rosters show that Golliday was being held on a $50,000 bond for a second-degree domestic battering charge.
