The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office says an investigation is underway following the death of a jail inmate.
The inmate was identified by the Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office as 35-year-old Cortney Hartley.
A news release from the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office noted that the Hartley “was transported from the Vanderburgh County Jail to a local hospital on Saturday, Sept. 6.” She was removed from life support on Friday, according to the news release.
“The incident occurred during the early evening hours inside a booking area holding cell containing multiple new arrestees,” the release states. “Within minutes of being placed into the cell, (Hartley) improvised a ligature device and applied it to their neck without the other cell occupants noticing.”
A woman who was in the cell at the time of the incident told the Courier & Press that there were three women inside the cell. She and the other woman had been sleeping, she said, and one of them woke to find Hartley with a phone cord wrapped around her neck.
The Vanderburgh County Jail’s larger holding cells have phones inside them so inmates can call relatives and make arrangements to post bond.
“Once made aware, jail officers and on-site medical staff responded and initiated life-saving measures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED),” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “Emergency medical personnel from the Evansville Fire Department and AMR arrived on scene to provide additional care. The inmate was transported to the hospital (and) admitted to intensive care…”
In the news release, Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson said that the investigation into the incident is being handled by the Indiana State Police, “in accordance with Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office policy.”
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Sheriff says inmate died after incident at Vanderburgh jail; ISP investigating
Reporting by Ryan Reynolds, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
