Sacramento jail inmate dies after suffering medical emergency, sheriff’s officials say
A 37-year-old man died Tuesday after suffering an apparent medical emergency while in custody at the Sacramento County Jail, sheriff’s officials said.
The inmate had been in custody for about 31 hours on Tuesday morning at the Main Jail in downtown Sacramento when deputies were alerted to the inmate’s medical distress, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release Wednesday afternoon.
Sheriff’s officials said the deputies performed life-saving measures on the inmate until Correctional Health staff and later medics from the Sacramento Fire Department arrived. The medics took the inmate to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The man who died had been booked at the jail on suspicion of felony vehicle hit-and-run resulting in death or serious injury, according to the Sheriff’s Office. His bail amount was set at $75,000.
His name was not released Wednesday. The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office will release his name after his family has been properly notified.
Sheriff’s officials said several hours of security camera video at the jail leading up to the man’s medial emergency showed no indication of the inmate being under physical distress or a subsequent warning of an impending medical emergency. The inmate did not tell jail staff he had a medical issue when he was booked or during the previous two times he was in custody at the county jail.
The man who died had been housed with other inmates and showed no visible signs of trauma, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Investigators do not suspect any criminal activity or foul play was involved in his death.
“The Sheriff’s Office will complete a thorough inmate death investigation in accordance with department procedure and state laws,” sheriff’s officials wrote in the news release.
The Coroner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine his cause of death and forward its findings to investigators.
This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 3:31 PM.
