Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office reports inmate death

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) —  Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has reported the death of an inmate at the Hamilton County Jail.

At 12:20 p.m., August 31, 2024, corrections deputies were made aware of an inmate in the Bravo Unit who was unresponsive.

When deputies arrived, they located the inmate unresponsive, and a powdered substance on the floor near them,

HCSO suspects the substance to be fentanyl.

Corrections deputies began CPR until Hamilton County EMS arrived.

The inmate was transferred to a local I.C.U. where they were put on life support.

September 2, 2024, the inmate, Rachel Johnson, was taken off of life support and pronounced dead.

Johnson was booked into the Hamilton County Jail March 6, 2024, on a probation violation related to possessing narcotics.

Hamilton County District Attorney, Coty Wamp, has directed HSCO to turn the investigation over to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

Johnson’s family has been notified.

This is the fourth inmate death in the year 2024.