A Larimer County Jail inmate bit off his own thumb and slid it under his cell door in the walking path of a deputy, officials said Wednesday.
A deputy was doing his standard rounds about 2 a.m. on Jan. 27 when he saw something slide across the floor in front of him, according to a Larimer County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Upon closer inspection, the deputy discovered it was a human thumb.
Looking in the direction it came from, the deputy saw an inmate bleeding from his hand.When medical staff responded, it was determined the inmate bit his thumb off, officials said.
The inmate, who has not been identified, was taken to a local hospital, but doctors were unable to reattach his thumb.
“He was returned to the jail where he continues to attempt self-harm by pulling at the bandages and attempting to bite himself,” the release said.
The inmate has assaulted a corrections deputy in the past.
“This is an example of the growing number of inmates housed in county jails who suffer from apparent or diagnosed mental illness,” the release said. “While the Larimer County Jail does provide mental health services to inmates through diagnoses and medications, the jail is not the appropriate venue for treatment of mental illness.”
Elizabeth Hernandez: 303-954-1223, ehernandez@denverpost.com or @ehernandez
