August 10th, 2023 – 2:40 PM

Polk County Sheriff’s Office –

The following is a statement from Polk County Sheriff Johnny Moats:

On the morning of August 8, 2023, an inmate housed at the Polk County Jail was found unresponsive in his cell by Officers when they went to get him for First Appearance procedures.

The inmate, Cliff Woods Jr., was a 62-year-old male being housed for Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance, Drugs not in the original container, and Felony Violation of Probation.

Upon entering his cell, Officers found Mr. Woods on his bunk and were unable to wake him. The Jail Officers removed Mr. Woods from his bunk and began CPR.

The Jail Officers notified our medical department and retrieved the AED. EMS was notified as well and asked to respond to the jail. Jail Officers and our medical staff continued lifesaving efforts until EMS arrived.

When EMS was unable to find a pulse or verify any signs of life, Mr. Woods was taken to Polk Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased. The Coroner’s Office was then notified and responded to the hospital.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigations has been called to investigate the in-custody death.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office will conduct a parallel investigation into the incident as well.