An outside investigation is underway after an inmate inside the Tuscaloosa County Jail died there Tuesday afternoon, according to a Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman.

Deputy Jessica McDaniel, the department's public information officer, said detention officer deputies were called at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday to assist a 39-year-old man who was found unresponsive in his cell.

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McDaniel said staff at the jail administered life-saving measures until emergency responders arrived, but the inmate was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.

She said there were no obvious signs of injury, and that the man's cause of death will be determined via an autopsy.

Because the death occurred in the jail, which is run by the sheriff's office, the investigation will be conducted by members of the multi-agency Violent Crimes Unit who are not affiliated with TCSO. The case will be handled by VCU investigators from the Tuscaloosa Police Department, the University of Alabama Police Department or the Northport Police Department.

The victim's identity was not publicly released Tuesday evening.

Stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread for more details as they become available.

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