Local News
Cherokee County inmate found hanging in cell
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in after an inmate was found hanging from a bed sheet in his cell Monday, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said.
A deputy was conducting cell checks when inmate Richard James Sheriff, 61, of Canton was discovered, Lt. Jay Baker with the sheriff’s office said in a news release. The deputy removed the sheet and tried to assist Sheriff, who was later pronounced dead at Northside Hospital-Cherokee.
No other inmates were in the cell during the incident, Baker said.
The GBI investigates all deaths of people in custody.
Sheriff was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly stabbing a Canton man Jan. 2.
