UPDATE Wood County Inmate Dies In Custody

Press Release From Wood County Sheriff’s Office

The results of the Sheriff’s internal investigation, the Texas Rangers investigation and the autopsy have been received by the Sheriff and all indicate that inmate Robert Sharp died at ETMC Hospital in Tyler on August 4, 2016 at 10:15 PM as a result of injuries that he sustained in an attempted suicide on Friday, August 4, 2016 while being detained in The Wood County Jail.  Inmate Sharp had been detained since July 25, 2016 on a charge of “Assault Family Violence”.  Mr. Sharp was being housed in a separation medical cell and was being checked every 30 minutes by the detention officer on floor duty.  After the floor officer made her check at 3: 23 PM Inmate Sharp attempted to take his on life by hanging himself in the shower utilizing material torn from his jail uniform.  The inmate was discovered unresponsive approximately 20 minutes later by the detention officers.  CPR was administered and the inmate was transported to ETMC emergency room in Quitman by EMS and was subsequently flown to ETMC Tyler where the inmate later died.  Sheriff Jim Brown stated that there was never any indication that Inmate Sharp was suicidal or intended to harm himself.