NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Three deputies who left a Virginia sheriff’s office in the wake of a teen’s suicide in a courthouse cell have been hired by a neighboring sheriff.

The Virginian-Pilot reports the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office fired Deputies Kevin Griffin and Harvey Richardson and Sgt. Sharnika Johnson resigned in February, following an internal investigation into 17-year-old Katrell Jaymar Washington’s Nov. 16 self-strangulation.

The Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office hired Griffin and Richardson on Feb. 26, while Johnson was hired March 12. Portsmouth Lt. Col. Marvin Waters says the deputies came highly recommended and passed background checks.

The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office had said the deputies didn’t follow required practices but weren’t responsible for Washington’s death. An unspecified number of employees received some form of discipline.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com