An eastern Missouri jail officer has been suspended with pay after inmates accused him of putting pepper spray on pizza before giving it to them.
Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke says four inmates complained of pain in their mouths and stomachs after they ate the pizza from an area restaurant on Tuesday. One inmate was evaluated at a hospital.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the jailer said the pepper spray got onto the pizza when he checked the pepper spray supply in a janitor's closet with the pizza nearby. He said an inmate took the pizza and gave it to other inmates.
The jailer, who is a sheriff's deputy, is likely to face a disciplinary hearing this week to determine whether he will keep his job.
