Bradley County corrections officers suspended following inmate death

File Photo by Angela Lewis/Chattanooga Times Free Press Dec 5, 2013— The Bradley County Jail is in Cleveland, Tenn.
File Photo by Angela Lewis/Chattanooga Times Free Press Dec 5, 2013— The Bradley County Jail is in Cleveland, Tenn.

The Bradley County Sheriff''s Office has suspended three correctional officers, Sgt. Tim Boyd and deputies Gabe Black and Ron Reddish, today as part of an internal investigation into the recent death of inmate Ralph Nelms.

Nelms was found hanging in a booking area cell on Sunday.

Chief Deputy Brian Smith ordered the internal investigation to run parallel with an investigation handled by the current Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said department spokesman James Bradford in the news release. Bradford said the three officers will remain on suspension until the conclusion of both investigations.

Last month, a state inspector cited the jail for overcrowding. The facility audit described security check logs, suicide watch reports and restraint checks as "very vague" and noted the booking area regularly houses at least 40 inmates for extended periods.

Nelms makes the third inmate to die in the jail since March.

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