Inmate suffers skull fracture after jumping over top tier rail in Elkhart jail

An inmate at the Elkhart County Correctional Facility was injured Friday morning after he jumped over a top tier railing and fell to the floor in an inmate ward.

The incident happened just after 9 a.m.

Billy Ray Shoemaker, 39, was taken by ambulance to South Bend Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

He has a skull fracture, broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

Shoemaker was being held in the facility for non-support of a child and has a $24,000 bond.

The incident is under investigation.