Officials investigate apparent suicide attempt at Marion County Jail in Ocala

An inmate at the Marion County Jail – a man who at one time worked as a corrections officer at the lockup – has been treated and released from a hospital after he reportedly tried to harm himself.

William JamesCharles Brooks, 30, was taken to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital earlier this week for treatment, according to Marion County Sheriff's Office officials. Brooks was released from the hospital on Thursday and returned to the jail, where he now will be on suicide watch.

Brooks is at the jail awaiting resolution of several charges: aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, aggravated battery upon pregnant victim, and two counts of domestic battery by strangulation.

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The man's lawyer, Ian Pickens of the Meldon Law Firm in Gainesville, said he cannot comment at this time on his client's case or situation.

A former detention deputy

Brooks once was a detention deputy at the jail. He was arrested in late October 2014 and accused of introducing contraband into the detention facility.

Brooks resigned from the MCSO in December 2014, deputies said. His case was dismissed in 2015, according to court records. 

MCSO personnel operate the jail, which is located near the agency's main building.

Sheriff's Office report

According to an arrest report, sheriff's Cpl. Terry Mundorff was called to a residence on June 14 in reference to a domestic disturbance. At the location – the address was not revealed by law enforcement officials – a woman told the deputy that she and Brooks had been arguing.

She said she was asleep when she woke up to find Brooks pointing a .22-caliber rifle at her. She said he was yelling and ordered her to get dressed.

The victim said Brooks forced her to go into the backyard. With the gun pointed at her head, she said, Brooks told her to dig a hole because "that is where you are going," the report states.

The woman said Brooks kept yelling at her while she was digging. She said she was able to escape and run into the home, where she locked the doors. Brooks was able to get into the home by breaking a window.

The woman said they argued and, during the confrontation, he choked her at least two times. The victim said she passed out. She said Brooks told her: "I could have just choked you a little longer and you would have been dead," according to the report.

Brooks' arrest

Brooks was not at the residence when Mundorff interviewed the woman.

The deputy left after speaking with the victim. Mundorff returned to the residence at a later time and found Brooks. He declined to talk to the deputy.

Brooks was arrested and taken to the jail for booking.

In his report, Mundorff noted that he recovered the firearm and the victim had bruises on her right breast, hands and right knee.

Brooks was discovered in distress at the jail on June 27

Sheriff's Office officials said Brooks, an inmate in Alpha Pod, was discovered in distress shortly before 9 p.m. on June 27. Brooks was not on suicide watch, but jail policy requires detention deputies to check on inmates ever 30 minutes. It was during one of these checks that Brooks was discovered in need of medical help.

Officials said employees gave the man medical assistance. He was later transported to the hospital. 

With the situation considered an ongoing investigation, sheriff's officials did not provide many details. But officials did say that it appears Brooks tried to commit suicide by hanging.

A troubled history at the Marion County Jail

In recent years there have been several instances where inmates have committed suicide at the jail.

In 2018, five inmate deaths were reported at the jail. Sheriff's officials said four of the five were suicides, and the fifth was classified as a homicide. Four of the five deaths happened within five months, records show.

After those deaths, the sheriff brought in three national jail experts to examine the lockup. The review did not result in any major policy changes, because sheriff's officials said they were already implementing the recommended changes. 

Brooks was seeking bail

Court records show that on the day Brooks was admitted to the hospital, his lawyer had filed a motion asking the court to set a bail amount. Brooks was being held without bail.

Among the arguments attorney Pickens cited in his request: Brooks has strong ties to the community; Brooks could be fitted with a GPS monitor; Brooks does not have any criminal convictions, is not a flight risk, and has never failed to appear for a court appearance.

Mundorff had recommended that Brooks should be placed on the SHIELD program, which is designed to protect victims from their abusers/attackers.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com