Inmate suicide sparks concern

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The Erie County Sheriff's Office told News 4 that the 26-year-old prisoner who committed suicide is from Cheektowaga.

Erie County Sheriff's Deputies found the 26-year-old prisoner in his cell at about 5 p.m.
Saturday evening.

The man was unresponsive.

Deputies performed CPR, as they waited for an ambulance.

The man was taken to Buffalo General where he was pronounced dead half an hour later.

The Sheriff's Office told News 4 that the inmate was booked on several charges Friday night.

They included, forgery, possession of a controlled substance and equipment violations in his car.

This is now the fifth suicide by hanging in the Holding Center since 2007 and the eighth suicide in the facility since 2003.

Erie County is already facing two lawsuits over conditions at the Erie County Holding Center.

Just last year, the Justice Department released a 50 page report after a two year investigation.

The lawsuit states that suicide prevention needs to be improved at county jails.

This is what the jail superintendent, Robert Koch had to say about the accusation back then.

Koch explained, "If there's anything we can do better, we'll do it."

We do have calls out to the Erie County Sheriff's Office for a response to this latest hanging.

So far, none of those calls have been returned.