Man who shot self in Cole County Jail sentenced to prison

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man who shot himself while he was confined in the Cole County Jail was sentenced to 14 years in prison Thursday.

Brandon E. McNeese, 36, was sentenced on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and a count of being a felon with a gun. He pleaded guilty to the charges in October.

McNeese was indicted in 2018 on the drug charge after the DEA conducted controlled buys of nearly 280 grams of methamphetamine, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

McNeese shot himself in the left arm in November 2019 while he was in the Cole County Jail awaiting federal trial, leading to the gun possession charge, according to the U.S. attorney's office. McNeese was alone in the cell when the shooting happened, according to court documents.

McNeese filed a lawsuit against the Cole County Sheriff's Department and Sheriff John Wheeler alleging he wasn't given proper care or protection while in the jail. A case review is set for October.