An inmate at the Gordon County Jail died early Thursday morning after jail personnel found the person unresponsive inside a cell, according to the Gordon County Sheriff's Office. Emergency medical personnel responded to treat the inmate, but the person did not survive. The inmate's identity and cause of death have not been released.
The Gordon County Sheriff's Office requested that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation lead an independent inquiry into the death, a request FOX 5 Atlanta confirmed in its reporting. Jail staff discovered the inmate unresponsive inside the cell and called for emergency medical assistance, but despite a quick response, the inmate died, according to Coosa Valley News.
GBI Agents Join Sheriff's Detectives at the Scene
GBI agents were at the jail Thursday morning, working alongside sheriff's office detectives and the county coroner to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, the outlet reported. State agents, sheriff's detectives, and the county coroner are all now part of the investigation into how the inmate died.
The sheriff's office described the request for an outside investigation as standard procedure in cases involving deaths in custody, a characterization echoed in reporting from Discover Gordon County, which likewise described an independent GBI probe as standard procedure in any in-custody death. Neither the inmate's name, age, nor the reason the person was being held in the jail has been made public.
What Remains Unknown
The inmate's identity and cause of death have not yet been made public, according to Local 3 News. GBI agents are leading the active and ongoing investigation, and officials have said additional information will be released as the inquiry progresses. Sheriff Ralston said the investigation remains active, with additional information expected to be released as it becomes available, per the same account from the station's report.
In-custody deaths elsewhere in Georgia have followed a similar pattern of independent state review. In Coffee County, an inmate died October 6 after injuries sustained in a September 24 altercation, and Sheriff Cole likewise requested an independent GBI investigation, a case that the sheriff's office says remains ongoing. Earlier this year, the GBI said it was investigating the in-custody death of 43-year-old David Allen Lollie, Jr. of Douglas at the request of the Coffee County Sheriff's Office, according to a release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
No findings or timeline for completion of the Gordon County investigation have been disclosed. Officials have indicated more details will follow as the GBI's work continues.
