PORT ANGELES — Clallam County jail staff thwarted a married couple’s attempts at suicide this week.
The 33-year-old man and 32-year-old woman were located in different cells and were booked in the jail on separate charges and at different times Wednesday, when both attempted suicide. Their names have not been released.
Jail staff found the woman with little or no pulse at 8:15 p.m., said jail Administrative Sgt. Al Collins. She had used a string from her clothing in an attempt to strangle herself, and jail staff used cardiopulmonary resuscitation to restore her pulse, he said.
The woman was taken to Olympic Medical Center for treatment and was returned to the jail Thursday morning. She was later released into the care of Peninsula Community Mental Health Center.
The man attempted suicide by trying to strangle himself with his own underwear at 9:30 a.m., Collins said, and jail staff stopped his attempt while he was still conscious.
The couple don’t live in Clallam County, Collins said, but he didn’t know where they were from.
The woman was arrested on a fugitive charge from Nebraska. She is wanted in that state for criminal impersonation but will not be extradited because of the suicide attempt, Collins said.
Because of the attempt, a law enforcement officer from Nebraska will fly to Port Angeles and transport her back, he said. Due to the cost, Collins said authorities from that state have chosen to drop extradition unless she is arrested in an adjacent state.
The charge still stands.
The man was arrested on an immigration charge and a charge of domestic violence.
Proud of staff
Undersheriff Ron Peregrin said he is “absolutely proud” of the jail staff for keeping such close watch on all of the jail’s 107 inmates that they were able to thwart the couple’s attempts at suicide.
“It’s absolutely incredible,” he said.
Collins said the jail has had 10 suicide attempts since Jan. 1, 2008. Jail staff also intervened after at least 25 threats of suicide during that same period.
The last suicide was Dec. 12, 2007.
Peregrin said the jail has replaced its beds in the last several months in order to reduce suicide attempts. The new beds have nothing to which inmates can tie something to strangle themselves.
“Any time there is a little flaw like that, we move to correct them,” he said. “It’s something that we take very seriously.”
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
