Larimer County inmate hospitalized after chewing off thumb

A Larimer County inmate has returned to jail after receiving treatment at a nearby hospital for biting off his thumb.

The Coloradoan reports that the sheriff’s office said in a release that a deputy had been conducting a routine inmate check Wednesday when he noticed something being slid from underneath a cell door. The deputy then discovered that it was a person’s thumb.

Sheriff’s officials say the deputy checked the cell, where he found the inmate’s hand was bleeding. Medical staff determined the inmate had chewed off his thumb.

The inmate was taken to a hospital, but doctors could not reattach his thumb.

The sheriff’s office says the inmate has been returned to his cell where he has continued to bite himself.