Inmate suicide victim was intoxicated and had to be restrained
by Josh O’Bryant
Nov 10, 2009 | 3231 views | 124 124 comments | 10 10 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Charles Lee Cochran
Charles Lee Cochran
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The man who allegedly committed suicide at the Walker County Jail Saturday night was said to be highly intoxicated and had to be restrained.

Charles Lee Cochran, who was arrested Friday night for disorderly conduct, allegedly hanged himself in the Walker County jail.

According to Sheriff Steve Wilson, the Rossville man was arrested by the Rossville Police Department Friday night on a charge of disorderly conduct and lodged in the Walker County Detention Center.

He was found in his cell, hanging by his T-shirt, at 2:20 a.m. Saturday.

Detention officers and EMTs immediately began life-saving procedures on the inmate, 36-year-old Charles Lee Cochran. Efforts to resuscitate Cochran were unsuccessful and he was declared deceased by medical personnel.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death, and the body has been transported to the GBI crime lab in Decatur for an autopsy.

Rossville Police Department detective Dave Scroggins said that Cochran was arrested following a domestic dispute with his neighbor. Cochran was being disorderly, arguing and using profanity, in public, against his neighbor, Scroggins said.

According to Walker County sheriff’s deputy Dewayne Steele, Cochran was brought into the Walker Jail at around 9 p.m. Friday night along with a 22-year-old white female who was also arrested that night where the incident occurred on Henderson Avenue in Rossville.

Steele said that Cochran was behaving erratically and was being “a problem” while Ross-ville officers were handling the domestic dispute with Cochran and his neighbor.

Steele said that a blood alcohol test was not conducted on Cochran, since he was arrested on a non-driving offense, but that he may have been under the influence of narcotics as well as alcohol.

Cochran was placed in one of the jail’s “drunk tank” cells. This cell’s toilet facility, for the safety of intoxicated inmates, consists of a hole in the ground rather than a bathroom toilet. The jail does not place cameras in such cells, according to Steele, so as not to record inmates’ nudity if they use the toilet.

Steele said that Cochran was not booked immediately because officers generally wait until intoxicated inmates have “sobered up” before booking them, but that Cochran was eligi-ble for bond well before his body was found.

Cochran did not scream out for help while in the cell, Steele said, but he did use profanity and was argumentative while being brought in to the jail and while in the cell.

Steele said that it is “typical behavior” for intoxicated inmates to yell profanity and bang on glass. Officers check on them periodically, he said, and once the alcohol wears off, the inmates usually relax.

No officers abused Cochran, Steele said, but Cochran was restrained and searched when he was brought in, and was being argumentative and profane during this process.

Steele said that Cochran had been arrested previous times in Rossville on misdemeanor charges and that all officers on hand followed procedures.

Steele could not comment on how Cochran was asphyxiated, since the investigation is ongoing.
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comments (124)
« Bubblebuddy wrote on Sunday, Nov 29 at 05:54 PM »
I agree also. And yeah the goverment will cover there own ass!
« brooke2009 wrote on Saturday, Nov 28 at 07:33 PM »
I agree michellefellow. I have heard alot of things about the corruption that goes on in that jail and they do need to do extensive background checks on their workers, but that isn't going to happen because why should they care what happens to any of those inmates. I just hope when these inmates can they start speaking up but i guess they are afraid to while they are incarcerated. I know someone who just got out of the walker county jail the other day and he said that they told all of the inmates they better not even talk about any of this to anyone because if they did they would have things taken from them or they would make sure they got longer time to have to spend in there and if you ask me that is pretty suspicious and they should not be aloud to make threats toward those inmates like that, but I guess they can do what they want to do down there. I guess it is ok for them to be cruel and mistreat humans and then when they see somone mistreating an animal they take them in for that, which I don't believe in mistreating animals either. I just believe there was something fishy about that night and they are covering up. Everybody has an opinion on the way they feel about this and I think it is a good idea for people to express their opinion.
« michellefellow wrote on Friday, Nov 27 at 05:31 PM »
the sam parker case is very different this one LOCAL 2009

there was actually alot of proof sam done that i mean the woman came up missing for gods sake and was never found therefor it wasnt hard to figure out what happened!!

people lived in caves MANYY MANYY years ago not in this world sweetie!

the family i say just needs answers but no one is ever going to give them any because there are to many HEARTLESS people that work for the goverment

do more background checks on your workers PEOPLE duhh
« local2009 wrote on Thursday, Nov 26 at 07:44 AM »
half of you must live in a cave,the gbi will cover for the jail??that is a joke,just like in the sam parker case.they just gave up didn't they.these agent's will do what they need to do,no matter who they have to bring down,so don't say things that you have no knowledge of.
« isaiah24 wrote on Wednesday, Nov 25 at 07:01 PM »
I would like to know if you are restrained how can you hang yourself without help. Why did these headlines change. I think something is very suspicious here and I think someone needs to get to the bottom of it. If someone beat him to death and then hung him with his on shirt then they really need to pay because all this man was in there for was disorderly conduct and drinking and I know that is no reason to take his life so if someone did and they call themselves a man then they need to come forward or if somone else seen it they need to come foreward also or they are just as big of a coward as the one who did it. How do you think the family is going to feel tomorrow being Thanksgiving well all I can say is whoever did needs to have a bad Thanksgiving just like this family will. We need some real investigation done because I think the gbi will stick up for the county jail.
« Bubblebuddy wrote on Friday, Nov 20 at 05:06 PM »
Silly34-you are one funnyy son of a bitch HA! I'm still not getting why you are writeing anything at all. Can you answer that queston? I seen Chuckie at his funeral and there was a bruise on his face that wasnt there the night he went to jail. I'm REALLY GETTING ROYALLY PISSED at your stupid accusations and points of veiw. You have no right to say a DAMN THING TO EAGLE thats a family member of Chuckies you stupid dipshit show your sympathy and not your ass!
« michellefellow wrote on Monday, Nov 16 at 07:25 PM »
ds
« eagle31 wrote on Monday, Nov 16 at 07:22 PM »
You know it is irrelevant to say that if he had not been outside then he would not have been arrested. well you know what i think about you, you are just as cold hearted as the rest of some of these people that have left negative comments on here. Well he was a good person and just because of him drinking or being outside that was no reason for him to lose his life. i had to be there to see his kids cry for their father and I hope whoever can live with yourself talking the way you are and I hope you don't have kids and this ever happen to you, and another that is really bad is because only two officers in rossville have even had the decency to offer their condolences to the family. Even the sheriff of walker county never even called a family member and offered his condolences and I understand what he is going through with his medical condition and I am not cold hearted because my heart really goes out to him and I pray for him every night, and he had family members numbers to call and offer his condolences but like I said before people will be standing before God one day and have to be judged and and answer for what they have done
« michelle fellow wrote on Monday, Nov 16 at 07:08 PM »
today was the funeral it was soo hard

its just such a sad loss!!

people get in trouble for nothing now days

officers think that just because the know somebody does anything they try and watch them make a wrong little mistake so they can take em in for it

i just dont think i can trust any of them anymore

the goverment at that matter
« pfidyeman wrote on Monday, Nov 16 at 12:23 PM »
I am sorry for the family's loss.It is easy to place blame.IF Mr Cochran had not been outside causing problems then he would have been arrested.
« eagle31 wrote on Sunday, Nov 15 at 10:32 PM »
well I want to let you know Charles Cochran will be laid to rest tomorrow, so for the ones out their that knows what happened to him, i hope you can live with yourself, because it is really going to be hard on the family. You ought to wish you were half the man that Charles Cochran was then maybe you would be somebody. He would not harm anyone and would help anyone he could so the ones of you out their that did harm him that night and only you know who you are so just remember that somthing like this could happen to you or one of your family members and you will be in the same situation this family is going through right now. The people down at the Walker County Jail treat all of the inmates bad, and that is really sad. I am not going to give names of inmates that i know that have told me the things that have been done down there to inmates because I don't won't them to lose their life like Charles did, so just remember the people who know what happened that night will have to live with this the rest of your life and then one day you will stand before God and be judged, so just remember if you have any decency about yourself you will go ahead and come forth and answer for what you have done.
« anonymous wrote on Saturday, Nov 14 at 09:58 PM »
you know what really gets me about what they said about Charles Cochran was that he got arrested for using profanity in public well i can tell you they are alot of people from henderson, cherry street and indian avenue alway using profanity and they don't arrest all of those people, they just had it in for him, and the neighbor they are talking about works at the rec center so that is why he gets by with everything he does. he once came down cherry street after his girlfriend using all kinds of profanity, and one of the neighbors warned him not to come on their property so he is not perfect but i guess since in works for the rec center in the city of rossville then he is considered on of their own so they take up for him but he is a meth head and all they have to do is watch him and possibly pop a drug test on him, but i know that will never happen. I can tell you this much Charles Cochran had more class than that man will ever have, but now he is no longer living and i hope that man can live with himself for it, but people like him have no concience. He has children so all i can say if he can sleep at night knowing he caused this then let it be that.
« eagle31 wrote on Saturday, Nov 14 at 04:53 PM »
the family had to take clothes and songs for his funeral service today and you know that is hard to have to do. I know he is with his Mom now but we loved him and wanted him with us, because it is so harsh what happened to him. I just hope someone opens up and lets out what really happened and if not I hope they have a hard time living with themselves.
« anonymous wrote on Saturday, Nov 14 at 04:47 PM »
the family is having it rough. they had to take their loved one's clothes and songs for his service today and that is the hardest thing anybody has to do. It is so bad that a disorderly conduct charge would cause this. I hope this never has to happen to anyone else.
« anonymous wrote on Saturday, Nov 14 at 01:38 AM »
I believe the gbi is going go along with the county but I respect sportsfanatic wrote and I know he or she knows what goes on in that jail, and they are trying to cover it up. Just like sportsfanatic said he did not hang himself. He was probably hung by his t shirt but they are probably the ones who done it. I know I saw him the night he went to jail and he was not drunk and also the people's house he was at said he was not intoxicated. Like i have said before he was constantly being harrassed by law enforcement. I have a very strong feeling that someone in that jail put his t shirt around his neck and choked him to death, but you know I hope they never live a moments peace for what they have done and you already know the state and county are going to stick together and take care of their own. Well we are family and nothing will bring him back but if we stick together and do something we may save someone else's life.
« Michelle Fellow wrote on Saturday, Nov 14 at 12:48 AM »
PROMTHUS!!

like i said I WAS there the night they both was drinkin and got arrested i know there LIMITS!!

trust me i have lived with them for a very long time I KNOW their limits i know when they was SHIT FACED or just barely buzzed!!

they were both barely BUZZED

but its ok now...we have an attorney either wway we r gonna get to the bottom of this
« PrometheusX303 wrote on Saturday, Nov 14 at 12:22 AM »
« eagle31 wrote on Friday, Nov 13 at 12:04 PM »

I wish people would quit trying to take up for the walker county and let what's coming to them come because they deserve to come down for this <<

Just what, exactly, is coming to them? According to some here, the GBI isn't going to fault the county.

Have you now made up your mind, like the others, what really happened?
« PrometheusX303 wrote on Saturday, Nov 14 at 12:06 AM »
« michelle fellow wrote on Friday, Nov 13 at 12:44 PM »

no i dont think he done it his self im sayin if they found him hanging then whats the point<<

Well you obviously don't think it is as cut and dry as all that. Do you really not see the point in investigating it? On one hand you are demanding the truth, on the other, you ask why an investigation is needed.

>>and i got the booking information from the article above us

how did i know she was booked

because she herself said she was booked about 11:30pm that night!!<<

So she told you she was just as drunk as he was?

« eagle31 wrote on Friday, Nov 13 at 11:03 PM »
You know I am a family member of Charles Cochran and I have really been taking this really hard and my son plays sports and he is playing basketball for the school now and he had game tonight which I really didn't feel that much like being there because of this, but you know my son enjoys his mother there with him and Charles used to go with me to all of his football games and really enjoyed it, so you know it is really awful that somebody this and cause the family so much pain and suffering and all that person wants to do is lie about it and i hope that they are happy with themselves and I hope walker county law enforcement is happy.
« eagle31 wrote on Friday, Nov 13 at 03:49 PM »
I just wish it comes out and sportsfanatic can come forward to the family and let them know about everything, if he would let me find and email secretly to get in touch with him or her, I would greatly appreciate to talk to them.
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