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.

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