A Salt Lake County jail inmate nearly strangled another with a sock this week while they were in a holding cell together.

Salt Lake City police say a 35-year-old man being booked into jail on numerous retail theft, public intoxication and disturbing the peace misdemeanors, now faces second-degree felony aggravated assault allegations as well.

The Tuesday afternoon incident occurred shortly after the inmate was placed into a holding cell in the jail's processing area. According to a probable cause statement, security camera video shows the man removing a sock from his jacket pocket and then looping it around the neck of another prisoner.

The video allegedly shows the suspect placing his knee into the back of the victim, who was lying down facing the wall, and then attempting to strangle him with the sock pulled tightly before jail personnel intervened.

The probable cause statement notes that when questioned, the suspect admitted to the assault but did not offer an explanation for why he attacked the other man.