1-12-2022       Death in the Rutherford County Detention Facility

On 1-12-2022 at 4:56am a Med-tech nurse and a detention officer located inmate Andrew Franklin Hodge unresponsive in his cell.  Hodge was being housed in the cell by himself.

E.M.S. and Rutherfordton Fire Department arrived on scene, and soon after pronounced Mr. Hodge deceased.
Sheriff Francis requested the State Bureau of Investigation (S.B.I.) to come and investigate the death.
Andrew Hodge was being held on No Bond for multiple charges to include murder, and discharge weapon into an occupied dwelling.
The investigation into Mr. Hodge’s death is ongoing.

On Tuesday evening 1-11-2022, four inmates had to be transported from Rutherford County Detention Facility to Rutherford Regional Hospital because of overdose symptoms.
Narcan was used, E.M.S. and Rutherfordton Fire Department responded. All four inmates were responsive before being transported to Rutherford Regional Hospital.
The inmates were medically cleared after a couple hours from Rutherford Regional Hospital and taken back to Rutherford County Detention Facility, where they were placed in special observation cells.

The Criminal Apprehension Team, Narcotic Unit and deputies searched several cells to try and locate what the inmates may have ingested.
The investigation as to where the drugs came from and how they entered the Rutherford County Detention Facility and led to the overdoses is ongoing.