Nine Jacksonville Sheriff's Office corrections officers have been stripped of their positions and are under investigation after they were involved in an incident that left an inmate in critical condition, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said Tuesday.

When asked for more information at a late afternoon news conference, Waters said that by critical, he means the injuries are "bad, very bad, bad enough for me to come out here and tell the public about it."

The inmate is currently being treated at an area hospital. Due to being the victim of a potential crime, the inmate is protected by state law and Waters could not release their information.

He could not reveal more about what happened at the time of Tuesday's media briefing. The nine employees involved included eight corrections officers and one arresting sergeant. Their names have not been released at this time.

They have been removed from their positions and "stripped of authority," Waters said, but none have been arrested. An investigation is being carried out by JSO's "most experienced" detectives, he said.

The officers will remain out of their positions until the investigation is concluded, when a final decision will be made.

Waters says that the State Attorney's Office will be involved and senior prosecutors are conducting an independent investigation.

Waters stressed that JSO is taking this very seriously.

"The safety and the security of our inmates, those housed at our jail, is a priority for this agency," he said. "And I assure the public, this investigative process will be thorough, competent and comprehensive."

FDLE told First Coast News they have not been asked to assist in the investigation at this point, saying that could change at any moment.

This story was first published by First Coast News.