Police: Prisoner attacks another, attempts to hang himself with sheet

A Hempstead County prisoner is in critical condition in a Texarkana hospital after he attempted to kill himself by hanging from a sheet, Sheriff James Singleton said.

Cedric Deangelo Williams, 30, of Van Buren, Ark., was discovered about 5:15 p.m. Monday with a sheet around his neck in one of the cells, Singleton said.

Detention officers started CPR, and Pafford EMS arrived to take Williams to Wadley Regional Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition.

Williams had been arrested by Hope police for residential burglary and two counts of battery in the third degree and taken to the jail.

While at the detention center booking desk, officers removed the handcuffs from Williams, and he attacked another person waiting to be booked into the detention center.

Williams was placed into a holding cell in the booking area.

A detention officer working the control room noticed Williams with the sheet around his neck and notified other detention officers who started CPR and removed the sheet.

Singleton has requested that the Arkansas State Police criminal investigation division investigate the incident.