NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Newport News Sheriff's Office and police department are investigating a jail death after an inmate hanged himself Tuesday.
It was around 1:42 a.m. when a deputy found 28-year-old Joseph Allen Bratcher in his cell with a sheet tied around his neck and the cell bars, according to a sheriff's office spokesperson.
Deputies immediately called for help. CPR was performed on the inmate until paramedics arrived.
Bratcher was taken to Riverside Regional Medical Center where he later died in the evening around 8:39 p.m.
An investigation will be undertaken by the Newport News Police Department and the Newport News Sheriff's Office.
Bratcher had been in jail on a probation violation, officials said.
