A Harford County Detention Center inmate was hospitalized following an apparent suicide attempt Friday night, police said.
Christopher Booth, 45, of Edgewood was found hanging in his cell at approximately 9:25 p.m. Friday, according to Harford County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Christopher Swain.
Booth was taken to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, where he remained late Sunday morning, Swain said. His condition was not immediately available; however, Swain said a court order over the weekend had released Booth from the custody of the Sheriff’s Office. Such action is sometimes taken to allow an individual’s family to legally make medical decisions about their care.
Booth was incarcerated Nov. 1 on a bench warrant for second degree assault stemming from an Oct. 25 incident. He was also cited multiple times for failing to comply with a protective order during the last week of October. According to court records, Booth has a criminal record including several incidents of assault, a drunk driving charge, and other infractions.
Swain said Booth was housed in one of the facility’s Direct Supervision Units in a cell by himself. Booth was not under watch at the time of the incident, and “had been seen to be okay” by a corrections officer approximately 15 minutes before he was found hanging in his cell.
F3AF says
What the jail needs is a F3AF “Fine Ass African American Female” to run the jail. If only Sheriff Bane could get himself one like he got to boss around all them road cops he has. You know a F3AF he can show off down in the hood. To make all those poor black folks know Sheriff Bane feels you.
“Yes Sir, Boss; How you today Boss; Can I get the boys working Boss; Showing me off again today, Sheriff”
That’s our Sheriff, can’t have an employee that out shines the boss man, no Sir. Until then expect more death at the jail and on the road.
Voting R This Tuesday says
So are you saying Sheriff Bane is killing people at the jail and our deputies? Or are you saying he is a raciest?
F3AF says
Responsible – Yes / Raciest – No; He is smart and will show off his shiny tokens for the biggest voting impact!
Sheriff Bane is responsible for any death of any person that is under the protection of the Harford county sheriff’s Office Inmate or Deputy. The lack of good policy; Strong leadership; and consistency is and will kill more people that Sheriff Bane has taken an oath to protect. He swore to protect the citizens of Harford County including the Deputies and the Inmates. Every time he allows his Command Staff to fight out issues on their own without any word from the sheriff is poor leadership and people will die. Allowing the jail to attempt to function without strong leadership is unsafe and inmates and deputies at the jail will die. How many months has the jail been running without a Warden and Assistant Warden? Just look at the increase of jail related deaths in that same time. We have captains running the jail but they cannot agree half the time and the Sheriff will not get involved. Only one of them truly knows how to safely run the jail. I am not saying he is the one that should get the job. The Sheriff should look outside the jail if he cannot find one from within. But no he will pick the only one that cannot run the jail safely or with authority. The one this is a Black Female. Why is that, is it because she the best for the job? I wish she was I really do. However, I worked with her in the past and she is not the best for the job. Sheriff Bane will select her for one reason only and it is not because she is the best for the job or for the jail. But anyone that speaks up and say this is wrong will be called a raciest. The sheriff will be called brave, proactive, and a good leader for allowing this to happen. Just like he did on the road side of the Sheriff’s Office with the Major he made just to show off in the lower end of the county. He took a very good Lieutenant (that I was proud to work with) and made her a piss poor Major that is incapable of doing the job. The sheriff did this for one reason and he proves it at every town hall meeting he holds.
A Black Harford County Deputy says
F3AF you are right with a lot of things. You should know Im a black deputy and have worked at the jail and southern.
1. the sheriff is responsible for all of this and he has failed.
2. the sheriff did make our major for the reason you state and she has failed.
3. if the sheriff picks the captain I think you are talking about you are right she will fail and the sheriff picked her for one reason.
4. you are a raciest! but I agree with you so I must be a sexist.
RETIREDAWHILE says
But he did die though.
Deputy says
I dont know but his family should sue the sheriff for not having a command staff in place at the jail.
unknown says
who died?
unknown says
If you are asking if he died…the answer is no.
the watcher says
incorrect. he died later at the hospital when they pulled the plug.good ridance to bad rubbish i say. he was a complete waste of oxygen and space who loved to beat women because he couldn’t beat men. his”carpentry skills” were none existent as evidenced by the house in harford square. he locked his ex wife in a closet and she had to call her mother to let her out(luckily she had her cell phone) he was a coke head and a pill popper and came from a shit family whos parents murdered one of their children and laughed about never being charged with it. these ARE facts not trash talk. fuck him and every other booth related to him. if there was a hell,i’d do a cartwheel because that’s where he would be. but yes,i know that he is dead because they pulled the plug,a dear friend who had the misfortune to have been involved with him at one time was there to watch. i asked if i could send fireworks and party favors.
Because says
You really are the cream of the crop aren’t you? Such wonderful compassionate dialogue… delighting in the death of another human being. Karma sucks… I’m sure you will have a chance to experience what happens to a hateful person like yourself.
friend of family says
Wow…to know so much about the situation, and too add incorrect information…why don’t you just say who you really are? Since obviously your just on the outside looking in. My prayers are with the Booth family, in which I’ve known for many years! Not everyone is perfect but, to be excited of ones death. Kuddos to you, just remember that could have been your family…
DIDI says
IM WONDERING IF THIS IS THE SAME PERSON I KNEW FROM YEARS AGO. CAN U TELL ME HIS SISTERS NAME? DOES SHE OWN A CLEANING BUSINESS AND IF SO WHAT IS THE NAME OF IT? I WOULD LIKE YO USE HER SERVICES IF SHE IS STILL IN BUSINESS. THANKS.
Hazzard Native says
Racist, not raciest.
Signed,
The Spelling Police
what says
The “raciest” was the question I liked better. I was thinking that the Sheriff had jungle fever! He has my vote now!
Retired deputy says
Another case of poor management by Bane the new 40 million dollar jail can not be staffed! Why is this in a time of high unemployment? Bane promotes staff because of their race without even looking at their personnel files! The families of the 8 suicides at the detention center under Bane’s watch should all sue for millions!
Curious says
… and where would those ‘millions’ come from? Who do families of suicide victims sue when the victim didn’t happen to commit suicide in a gov’t facility?
KCS says
If someone wants to commit suicide they will. This is a known fact, and saying that the jail staff or the sheriff is directly responsible (unless there is direct negligence) is only a baiting statement with no value.
Not everything you post on is a negative reflection on the staff or administration, your posts only show how little you really know.
LoneRangersbabydaddy says
It’s a shame that this person chose his time to check out while residing at the HCDC. My condolences to his family, hopefully you can now have some peace. I am also sorry for the Deputy that found this man. When you take pride in what you do, death isn’t easy to swallow.
Deputy, please know that there was nothing that you could have done to prevent this, inmates time tours to their deaths. You can’t be in more than one place at one time.
To the other posters, The Major’s aren’t bad people. The motivation for promoting them may be in poor taste, but maybe the big cheese sees something in them that you do not.
What truly surprises me is how Stalling’s and co. are still sauntering through the jail singing ZippityDoDah, blaming his inability to treat on not having a special housing area that will magically make him a better MD. How many notches does this guys belt need before the Sheriff tells the Medical Dept. to find a replacement?
Walking Dead says
So how many more correctional officers is Bane going to fire because there was another suicide on his watch? There were quite a few scapegoats last time. They are already short-handed out there. The co’s are getting paid $15,000 in overtime PER WEEK. How do you like that one, taxpayers?
Old Skool says
Damn, $15,000.00 a week? Where do I apply?
Well Bane says
Which one of these fine promoted black lady deputies is the one that is f-ing the gang member / Harford County Sheriff’s Office corrections officers who appeared in a locally-produced rap video that Sheriff Jesse Bane, felt was a good 1st Amendment video. This is another proud moment for the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. Is their any other Command Staff Members dirt we should know about?
BBC says
That would be the patrol major. Video is in the Dagger archives.
Tried and Frustrated says
Dagger this board is turning into a gossip site for Harford County. If you don’t like what the job the sheriff is doing don’t boo “VOTE”.
Just Me says
Actually, the detention center is and has been posting jobs … you can see some on their Facebook page. Of course, you need to meet the requirements but they have been and to my knowledge are still looking to hire new staff.
Honestly, I don’t care about the rest. He’s in jail for a reason. He tried a quick way out and failed. Whatever … don’t act as a criminal if you don’t want to wade out the repercussions. I do think he should have been better watched, but it was only 15 mins after his last check – that’s not a huge gap in time. And as far as Bane … he was not the guard or the prisoner so is not responsible … maybe at other things but not this. If your bent on dismissing or disapproving Bane, maybe make a rant page just about him … you could do it on Facebook. Make sure you note that your voicing your “opinion” or I’m sure it could be flipped around to slander or defamation of character – we all know how our legal system works with all its flaws, flops and mishaps. Otherwise, this discussion should more so highlight the idiot noted that tried to kill himself.
What the hell? says
There seems to be a lot of disgruntled Harford County employees. If it’s that bad, turn in your 2 weeks and go somewhere else. Amirite?
King of Common Sense says
As usual I guess I have to come in and set the record straight. Mr. Booth passed away and the only one to blame for that is Mr. Booth. He was released on bail and actually violated the protective order before he stepped off of jail property. Upon being returned he was held this time and he hung himself immediately after being obvserved by an officer intentionally to maximize the time before he would be found. Despite this great effort on Mr. Booths part, he was still found in time to be kept alive for some time. The overtime number that is spent sounds like a lot unless you really sit down and recognize the cost of running a 24/7 operation that takes 150 officers to staff. $15,000 divided by an average overtime rate of 35$/hr. is 428 hrs/week or 61 hrs/day or 7.6 officers daily. Compare this to hiring an additional 12 officers, factoring their days off this is the number needed to provide 8 officers per day, consider their pay with benefits, training, and added equipment cost, each officer costs the agency atleast $100,000 annually for a total of 1.2 million or $23,000/wk. So we are actually saving at minimum $8,000 weekly.
Walking Dead says
King: Your numbers make sense, but it doesn’t account for the emotional and physical toll on the co’s. Are they really functioning at their peak working 16 hour days? If it was a rare occurrence, fine, they can handle it. But this has been going on for months with no end in sight. It’s got to be mentally and physically exhausting for them. So yes, there is money being saved but at what cost to the officers? And I agree, Booth did this to himself, I hope Bane doesn’t put the blame on the fine co’s who are already going above and beyond.
King of Common Sense says
Walking Dead, I agree completely. I was simply putting those numbers out because it appeared that some people thought we were just throwing money around to pad the officers’ pockets when in fact it is saving the county money and many of the officers were ordered to work the overtime. The terms “burned out” and “exhausted” became very common here but at the end of the day the facility had to be covered.
LoneRangersbabydaddy says
When the officers become mentally and physically exhausted, they tend to cut corners and make some mistakes. Who looks at the mistakes? The, “OT is cheaper than a filled position” response is fine when you use your mathematical theory, however, when you factor in the above, monies spent on other services, eg: investigations, workman’s comp, sick leave, etc. you are left with false-fiscal-forecasting.
Filter King says
When you factor in all the whining by correction officers that feel they are going above and beyond, you have to wonder who is watching those cameras and doing their rounds when they are on the internet so much posting their grievances. Bottom line is there was another death at the Harford Hilton. What do you guys do at that jail that makes inmates want to “HANG” around? With all the deaths at the jail it seems to me that someone isn’t doing their job and I have to wonder if this is intentional. Someone needs to start investigating these deaths from an external agency. You are not doing something right and people are starting to whisper rumors of murder, police hits and intentionally ignoring high risk inmates.
King of Common Sense says
Filter King –
People with diagnosed mental disorders and those yet to be diagnosed have been talking about all kinds of conspiracy theories but that doesn’t mean anything to us in the professional world. If you’d like to continue wearing your tin foil hat to prevent the secret messages the government is transmitting into your head to control you in the privacy of your own home without harming others, by all means go ahead. Meanwhile in the world of reality, we are holding criminals against their will for the benefit of society. We are holding people away from their drugs and other addictions, away from their families, and giving them time to think about the way they have disappointed their friends/family/self. Sometimes this makes them sad and in that moment they decide if they can’t get outside the walls physically then they will escape spiritually. Put down the books on how the moon landing was filmed in a studio in Hollywood and read one about the relationship between suicide and incarceration, you will see this is not some amazing phenomenon isolated in Harford County.
Filter King says
King of Common Sense –
Aah, I see that you are this noble paladin that is saving society from itself by putting people or sheeple down for their own good. Let me ask you something, Why did Valerie Carlton get held for 13 months in solitary confinement? Why did Jurosec attack her? Yeah, you guys are sure doing alot of “protecting” in that jail. One last question, since when is praying in hebrew considered talking in tongues? I guess you consider the word of the jewish faith an act of satanism or something. You guys really protected her family from harm considering her child died from neglect in foster care appointed by the Court you serve…..
wise owl says
If any of you people were placed in the correctional environment to work you would understand that its not all sunshine and happiness in the facility. Its not some piece of cake desk job Monday thru friday off weekends and holidays gig. Officers are tasked with working outrageous hours and pulling 12 and 16 hr. shifts so that the daily operations can be completed. However when an inmate makes that fateful decision to take their own life, as long as that officer is on time for their tours, they are fine. It takes less than two minutes to fulfill suicide by hanging. Last time I checked, that is a lot shorter than the fifteen minute window on the watch. Officers however do NOT have 15 pairs of eyes to keep on the inmates at a time.
King of Common Sense says
Since you bring up the issue of Ms. Carlton, you should know that she was not in solitary confinement but in locked cell in the female housing area initially at her request. The incident you speak of was videotaped and the injuries sustained by the officer documented, the shank found in her cell afterward was photographed and disposed of, and the 30+ inmates of Q dorm that witnessed the incident voluntary gave statements supporting the officer. Ms. Carlton spoke to me on a regular basis and besides her new found Jewish faith, she also claimed to be courting a member of foreign royalty and was found with medication hidden in her ears several times. I don’t know any of the facts of her case but I can tell you without a doubt she was mentally unstable. As far as saving society…We are doing what we can with the facility, giving society a short break from those that would otherwise disrupt its smooth operation and infringe upon others rights to life/liberty.
Filter King says
Being alone in a locked cell, 24 hours, 7 days a week, regardless of where the cell is, by legal definition is solitary confinement. The incident was video taped and is freely distributed on YouTube, which I have reviewed and can tell you from the video that Jurosec attacked her. Also, since she was on her 24/7 confinement, every other prisoner in the housing dorm was locked in their cells, so much for your 30+ witnesses who you say saw everything. Valerie’s original faith was that of Jewish tradition, she converted to appease her husband, then converted back once her husband had her confined over lies. Her own child will tell you that she did not abuse her and just “WANTS TO SEE HER MOMMY MORE!”. You are without a doubt the KING of LIES!
Filter King says
The “SHANK” you reference to, was a jail house safety pen, you know the bendable ones that are made so preschoolers can’t hurt themselves. She had reinforced the pen with plastic wrap so it wouldn’t bend when she wrote. Anymore lies you wish to tell the public. Oh and by the way, Jurosec’s wounds were just incredible, I don’t even think she broke the skin, considering he attacked her and she used whatever she could to retaliate………..
Filter King says
Talk about PIG ON THE WING
King of Common Sense says
The pen was used to attack the officer, a shank was found in her cell in a search afterward.
DILDO BAGGINS says
Please describe the shank and tell everyone what it was made of…………
Sam I am says
Filter Schwing….You are just as nonsensical in text as you are in person. I have learned something from every person I have encountered. Having a better understanding of your faith may have been a nice lesson, however, your lesson consisted of how to beat the system. Sadly, the people that fought for your freedom will never see your true side because of mastered manipulation. Fortunately the people who post here are able to cut through your BS. From what I can see, most of the posters on this blog are police, a few civilians, and a handful of your group……inmates. good luck in your quest to discredit the fine deputies of this county, though no one will buy it, so better to just press on.
Holly LOUIA says
I was on a website that had all this on it. I watched the video and I don’t think what I saw was a fine deputy of our county. Quite frankly I was horrified with what I read and saw. You guys at the jail need to chill out before you cause a major incident down the road. What were you guys thinking?
DILDO BAGGINS says
Dude, Jurosec is like thisskinny little twerp. She weighs half as much as him. I think he was over excessive. Locked up or not, if Jurosec ever came at me like that, I probably would be locked up for a lot longer, because I would’ve hurt him……….
King of Common Sense says
The shank was a black plastic spoon that had been intentionally split down the handle to form a long plastic spike. The video is poor quality and shows little more than two people grabbing at eachother. If anything, Jerousek was criticized for allowing her to poke at him with the inmate pen for far too long and she at one point gained control of his key ring before he brought the situation under control. When she arrived at the jail she knew very little about the jewish faith, as she was there her needs changed as she read more and more and she only mentioned the parts that were beneficial to her and made her stay more comfortable. I will give it to her that she was a master at manipulating the system and getting what she wants because they had the administration so afraid of being accused of not allowing her to freely practice her religion that if she would have said that her faith required her to have a set of keys they would have considered giving it to her.
wise owl says
Inmates of the Hcdc are way too spoiled and babied. I believe in an anti Obama country where capital punishment is always enforced as well as death row. It makes me laugh the public which is considered to be good upstanding citizens when the majority of them make up the inmate population. The liberals are the problem. Babying the cowardly inmates. They act like they are “hard”. More like soft.
DILDO BAGGINS says
Capital Punishment? We are talking about a second degree assault, aren’t we. I find it interesting that the whole reason she was in jail in the first place, was because of a teacher’s suspicions that were never proven and that she was held for over a year without a trial. The accusations of the child molestation and abuse were never substantiated because they were false and the child was examined and no signs of sexual abuse was ever discovered, her hymen was intact. The fact is she should have never been in jail and if she wasn’t in jail this incident would have never occured. The babying of inmates occurs in your dorm of child molestors that should not be babied, but for some reason HCDC feels that protecting child molestors and sexual offenders is their number one priority. Personally, I feel that a child molestor should be “DE-BONED” or “DE-FLOWERED” if you know what I mean. As for your comments about the PUBLIC, well they do pay your salary and Yes, they do make up the majority of the inmate population because non-public (POLICE) criminals only get charged when there is no other way to handle the situation. How many times have you lied for one of your brothers who crossed that thin blue line???????????
Sam I am says
To the alleged falsely imprisoned female inmate:
You had an initial appearance buy a court commissioner, were indicted buy a grand jury (of your peers), Arraigned, and adjudicated. There must have been a preponderance of evidence that you were in fact wholey or partially guilty of the crimes that you allegedly committed, otherwise you would have been let go. Sorry for your misfortune, but these are the judicial principals, rights, and privileges that separate us from third world countries, and they protect the rights and well being of the alleged victims.
The Thin Blue Line has nothing to do with lying, or an other negative connotation. there is a thin blue line that separates good from evil, order from chaos, and fear from safety. Yes we chose this career. This is not just a job, it is our calling. Everybody does not have the ability to do this line of work, be it Law Enforcement, Corrections, Dispatching, Fire and EMS. Their are bad apples in every sub community in every neighbor hood, community, and line of work. We can’t control that, but we eventually weed them out.
When you are in need of our help, we do not discriminate.
We are the Thin Blue Line. We aim to protect the rights, dignity, and safety for all of the citizens in our communities.
DIDI says
I am wondering if this the same chris i knew from years age. Can you tell me his sisters name and does she own her own cleaning business? If so would like to use her services.
Thank you
.0. says
I am his niece, could you tell me who you are?
DIDI says
I met Chris several times when he did some paint work and basement remodeling work for friends of mine two years ago. He was a fine gentleman from what i knew of him. He did beautiful work. I remember him saying his sister { i think } does house cleaning and wanted to know what company she is with so i can get an estimate. Thank you for responding.