Inmate dies while in custody at Nashville correctional facility

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Police are investigating the death of an inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell Friday evening.

At around 5:15 p.m., officers at the Nashville-Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Maximum Correctional Center discovered 60-year-old Phillip Pharris unresponsive, and medical staff were called in to assist. They began CPR and continued until Nashville Fire Department officials arrived.

Pharris was pronounced dead at 5:55 p.m., according to police. He had been in custody since June 9, 2023, on two counts of probation violation with an arrest history of controlled substance possession, theft, vandalism, and aggravated assault.

An investigation is underway, and foul play is not suspected.