Deputy Intervenes in Jail Suicide Attempt

March 30, 2009
Contact: Elise Schaffer, PIO Phone: (608) 284-6142 Email: schaffer@co.dane.wi.us
Sheriff's Office

At approximately 12:45 am, a Dane County Deputy performing a routine check in the Dane County Jail, discovered an inmate attempting to hang himself in the City County Building. While checking inmates, the deputy noticed a piece of white material tied to the bars of a cell. He immediately entered the cell and called for additional deputies to respond. The deputies were able to free the 26-year-old male from his ligature by lifting him to relieve the pressure on his neck and then cutting the sheet. Nursing staff in the jail also responded to the incident. As a precautionary measure the inmate was transported to a local hospital, however he has since been returned to the Dane County Jail where he has been placed on special watch and is being treated by mental health staff. ###