Man who committed suicide in Hamilton County Jail was in isolation, sheriff says

photo Justin Dale Bradley

The 23-year-old man who committed suicide Saturday while in the Hamilton County Jail was being held in isolation for his own protection, Sheriff Jim Hammond said today.

Justin Bradley was accused of beating his girlfriend's 3-year-old son, Dakota Arndt, to death on Aug. 27. On Saturday, Bradley used a bed sheet to hang himself in his cell and jail staff found him unresponsive shortly before 1 a.m.

Hammond said placing an inmate in an isolation cell is not unusual when the charges involve a child.

"It was for his own protection," Hammond said. "Generally this type of charge ramps up abuse from other prisoners when a young child was involved."

Because of the isolation, Bradley never interacted with the general population of the jail.

For more details, read tomorrow's Times Free Press.

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