By NICO SCAVELLA 

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A PRISON officer in custody over a domestic dispute died in hospital yesterday after trying to hang himself in his holding cell at the Elizabeth Estates Police Station.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean told reporters that shortly before 11am yesterday, officers performing their routine checks of the holding cells noticed the man - understood to be a young father - hanging from a rope in his cell.  

According to ACP Dean, the ‘rope’ was made from the deceased’s own clothing. 

ACP Dean said officials from the public clinic across the street were notified and lent their assistance in trying to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to the man. 

Emergency Medical Services personnel were summoned and took the man to the hospital. 

However, shortly before giving the official police statement on the matter, ACP Dean said police had received word that the man had died aroud midday. Her Majesty’s Coroner has now taken over the investigation, ACP Dean said. 

“The police (we) do our best,” ACP Dean said. “We have systems in place, we have procedures, we do routine checks. But we don’t strip anybody naked in the cell. People have clothing on so people could find creative ways to do things. But that will come out in the investigation. That’s only speculation so we’ll have an active investigation going on into this matter.” 

Alex Storr, the Progressive Liberal Party Senator and candidate for the area who was at the police station yesterday, expressed his concern. He said based on his understanding, the deceased was a “young father” who was taken into custody following a domestic dispute to “cool off”. 

“It’s just sad,” he said. “Just (Wednesday) we had a wonderful service over on the park for Urban Renewal and an uplifting ceremony. And so it’s sad that now today we have such a tragic turn of events... I’m just concerned because I too live in the community. And so these are family and friends, not just potential constituents.”