Gun found in inmate's cell believed to have been hidden in rectum

Jacksonville - After Michael Leon Ward was arrested, strip-searched, and locked up in a North Carolina county jail, prison officials located a gun in his cell the next day. Authorities believe the gun was in his rectum when he was processed.

On Monday, Ward, 22, was arrested in Onslow County, North Carolina. According to WITN, a car passed a state trooper while travelling 90 miles per hour on a North Carolina highway. With the assistance of another trooper, the car was eventually pulled over. Ward had a passenger in the car who he later claimed was his wife. Both parties locked the doors, rolled up the windows, and refused to come out of the vehicle. The troopers later convinced the man to unlock the door but he would not comply with their demands and one of the officers tasered him. When Ward complained that he had a heart problem and a disability that prevented him from walking, the officers took him to a hospital. At the hospital, he was searched. Nothing was found. After his visit to the hospital, Ward, charged with drunk driving and traffic offences, was taken to the Onslow County Jail. While being processed, he was strip searched and required to "squat and cough." Again, no contraband was found. Ward had given authorities a false name and a computer check revealed that he was wanted in Georgia. As reported in The Marietta Daily Journal , Ward was wanted in Georgia in relation to a homicide that occurred in October. He had been recently added to the Atlanta Police Department's wanted list and faces charges for murder and robbery. On Tuesday, the day after his arrest, a gun was found in Ward's cell. The weapon was described by WWAY as being a .38 caliber handgun, approximately 10 inches in length, and having a six-inch barrel. Officials at the Onslow County Sheriff's Office test fired the revolver and found it to be operational. Jail officials believe the only way the gun could have made its way into the cell was if Ward had concealed it in his rectum. Yesterday, the alleged killer was taken back to hospital for examination of possible internal injuries. As pointed out by The Smoking Gun, things could have been worse - the gun could have been loaded. The investigation into the revolver is continuing and Ward remains in custody pending extradition to Georgia.

Onslow County Sheriff's Office

.38 caliber revolver allegedly found in inmate's cell

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