A deputy sheriff for Wayne County was killed Wednesday night after being assaulted by an inmate at one of its downtown jail facilities, police said.

Corporal Bryant Searcy, 50, joined the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in Nov. 2002, said Sheriff Benny Napoleon.

It was about 10:15 p.m., on the fourth floor of the “division two” jail facility on 525 Clinton, when Searcy was making sure cell doors were closed. He pulled one behind him, thinking it was locked.

But the door wasn’t locked. 

“He took a few steps past the inmate, and the inmate pushed the door open and attacked him,” Napoleon said.

That inmate, a 28-year-old man, was arrested and has been transported to the Detroit Detention Center, pending charges, said Sgt. Nicole Kirkwood, a Detroit Police Department spokeswoman.

After the assault, employees called 911, and Detroit Fire Department medics arrived. They transported the victim to Detroit Receiving Hospital, performing CPR along the way, said Dave Fornell, a deputy commissioner of the fire department.

But he died from his injuries. Searcy is survived by his wife and daughter.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Corporal Searcy’s wife, Sherry, and their daughter during this horrific time,” said Wayne County Executive Warren Evans in a statement. “Words cannot express the magnitude of the loss and pain we feel today.”

Our thoughts & prayers are with the members of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and Corporal Searcy’s loved ones.