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Inmate charged with trying to hire hit on officer

Posted at 10:32 AM, Jun 14, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-14 12:01:08-04

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A Dane County Jail inmate accused of trying to arrange to have a Madison police officer killed has been formally charged.

A criminal complaint says 20-year-old Alijouwon Watkins tried to have another inmate find someone to kill the officer who had arrested him following a domestic battery incident. The complaint says Watkins wanted the officer killed so she couldn't testify against him in the battery case.

The inmate Watkins talked to went to police with the information. A federal agent posed as a hit man. Prosecutors say Watkins talked to the hit man, known as "Johnny," and told him he had $30 in his jail account he could release to him.

Watkins is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree intentional homicide and two other counts.