Crime
Jefferson County jail inmate Charlie Dunn dead after hang himself with bed sheet
JEFFERSON COUNTY, AL — A Jefferson County Jail inmate has died four days after he was discovered attempting to take his own life inside his jail cell.
Authorities have confirmed the death of 27-year-old Charlie James Dunn, a Bessemer resident, following a suicide attempt that involved hanging himself with a bed sheet.
According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, Dunn was found unresponsive in his cell at approximately 3:20 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2025.
Detention staff immediately intervened, and Dunn was transported to UAB Medical West for emergency treatment.
Despite medical efforts, Dunn was pronounced clinically dead at 3:52 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1. However, he was kept on life support temporarily, as he had elected to be an organ donor.
Jefferson County Circuit Judge David Carpenter ordered all pending criminal charges against Dunn formally dismissed on Thursday.
This legal action allowed his family to authorize organ donation and discontinue life-sustaining measures in accordance with his wishes.
Dunn had been booked into the Jefferson County Jail in Bessemer on April 14, facing charges of drug possession and receiving stolen property.
He was also under indictment in a separate case for attempted murder involving gunfire directed at a vehicle.
His death marks the second recent suicide-related fatality at the Bessemer jail facility, with both inmates succumbing to injuries at UAB Medical West following self-harm incidents.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has not commented on any potential policy reviews or procedural changes following these incidents. The matter remains under internal investigation.
Support resources are being made available to jail staff and inmates in the aftermath of the incident.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.