An inmate was found dead at the Pima County jail on Tuesday night, officials say.
At 7:50 p.m., corrections officers found Hugh Gillespie Burford, 50, in his cell and administered life-saving efforts. Burford reportedly tied a pair of socks to a toilet seat and his neck, causing his own strangulation, a news release from the Pima County Sheriffβs Department said.Β
Despite attempts to resuscitate, Burford was pronounced dead. Detectives found no signs of trauma and no suspicious circumstances, police said.
Burford was booked on Nov. 11 and charged on suspicion of trafficking of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.
Protesters, drawing attention to a decade-high number of deaths at the jail, were dispersed by Sheriff's Department personnel after an attempted arrest.
