A 21-year-old Saline County man hanged himself Sunday morning while incarcerated at the Saline County Detention Center, county authorities confirmed today.
The prisoner, Wade Hart of 7611 Fairplay Road, had been arrested by Bryant Police Officer David Miller on a public intoxication charge and was booked into the jail about 5 a.m.
Capt. Scotty Courtney said Hart was in a cell with another individual who apparently was asleep when the incident occurred.
Courtney said a jailer found Hart around 8:15 a.m.
“Breakfast had been served about 7:30 and he was found when they were picking up trays,” Courtney said.
“He used a piece of his clothing, which was tied around his neck and the sink and commode, which are one piece,” he explained. “He tied it around a piece of the unit and basically suffocated.
“He did not break his neck and he was not hanging from the ceiling,” he said, “but because it was around his neck, hanging is the term that’s used. Suffocation is really a closer description.
“Jail staff immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation and EMS was called,” Courtney said. Benton Fire Department’s rescue unit and Saline Memorial Hospital’s Med-Tran personnel responded, but Hart could not be revived.
He was pronounced dead in the cell, he added.
Benton Assistant Fire Chief Mark Mills said the fire department was called at 8:24 a.m. and left at 8:48 a.m.
Courtney said he has looked into the incident and does not believe inadequate staffing contributed to the tragedy.
“Everything I’ve looked at, as far as policies and procedures go, doesn’t lead me to believe that anything could have been changed to prevent this unless we hire a jailer for every prisoner we have,” he said.
“Unless you have somebody watching them every minute, things like this can happen when a person is really determined [to harm himself],” Courtney said.
“Had he made any kind of comment [indicating he wanted to kill himself], of course we would have had procedures in place to deal with him,” he said.
In such instances, when there is a suicide watch, prisoners are “stripped naked” to prevent them from using any part of their clothing to cause harm, Courtney explained.
“If you’re determined to do it, you can kill yourself with a sock or underwear. You could stuff a sock down your throat .. Even with public intoxication arrests, the prisoners are not given shoelaces or belts. They have none of that kind of stuff.
“There was no indication at all that he had these kinds of thoughts (thoughts of suicide),” Courtney said.
Lt. Hugh Gentry, jail administrator, declined to comment on the situation. He said he had been instructed to refer all questions to Courtney.
The prisoner, Wade Hart of 7611 Fairplay Road, had been arrested by Bryant Police Officer David Miller on a public intoxication charge and was booked into the jail about 5 a.m.
Capt. Scotty Courtney said Hart was in a cell with another individual who apparently was asleep when the incident occurred.
Courtney said a jailer found Hart around 8:15 a.m.
“Breakfast had been served about 7:30 and he was found when they were picking up trays,” Courtney said.
“He used a piece of his clothing, which was tied around his neck and the sink and commode, which are one piece,” he explained. “He tied it around a piece of the unit and basically suffocated.
“He did not break his neck and he was not hanging from the ceiling,” he said, “but because it was around his neck, hanging is the term that’s used. Suffocation is really a closer description.
“Jail staff immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation and EMS was called,” Courtney said. Benton Fire Department’s rescue unit and Saline Memorial Hospital’s Med-Tran personnel responded, but Hart could not be revived.
He was pronounced dead in the cell, he added.
Benton Assistant Fire Chief Mark Mills said the fire department was called at 8:24 a.m. and left at 8:48 a.m.
Courtney said he has looked into the incident and does not believe inadequate staffing contributed to the tragedy.
“Everything I’ve looked at, as far as policies and procedures go, doesn’t lead me to believe that anything could have been changed to prevent this unless we hire a jailer for every prisoner we have,” he said.
“Unless you have somebody watching them every minute, things like this can happen when a person is really determined [to harm himself],” Courtney said.
“Had he made any kind of comment [indicating he wanted to kill himself], of course we would have had procedures in place to deal with him,” he said.
In such instances, when there is a suicide watch, prisoners are “stripped naked” to prevent them from using any part of their clothing to cause harm, Courtney explained.
“If you’re determined to do it, you can kill yourself with a sock or underwear. You could stuff a sock down your throat .. Even with public intoxication arrests, the prisoners are not given shoelaces or belts. They have none of that kind of stuff.
“There was no indication at all that he had these kinds of thoughts (thoughts of suicide),” Courtney said.
Lt. Hugh Gentry, jail administrator, declined to comment on the situation. He said he had been instructed to refer all questions to Courtney.
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