The death of 53-year-old Eddie Faulkner in a Vista jail cell yesterday on April 17, has once again brought the issue of inmate safety in San Diego County jails to the forefront, as this marks the third death within the jail system this year.
Faulkner was arrested on November 7, 2022, and booked into the San Diego Central Jail on two warrants, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. He was found unresponsive around 7 p.m. on April 17, prompting deputies and medical staff to immediately respond and begin life-saving measures, including CPR; however, despite their efforts, Faulkner was pronounced deceased.
The Citizen's Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB), an oversight board, was notified of the incident and responded to the scene, per the Sheriff's Department. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will be responsible for determining the cause of death, and the Sheriff's Homicide Unit will investigate, as is the protocol for all in-custody deaths.
Prior to Faulkner's death, two other individuals, 33-year-old Ryan Thuresson and 67-year-old Robert Shuey, died in custody in San Diego County jails this year. Thuresson passed away on February 1 at a hospital, several days after being found unresponsive in his cell, while Shuey, who was arrested for a suspected drunken driving crash in Oceanside, died in a county jail in downtown San Diego on February 21, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The causes of their deaths are still being determined by the Medical Examiner's Office.
The Union-Tribune went on to note that in 2022, a record 19 people died in San Diego County jail custody, with another individual passing away shortly after being released from county custody for medical reasons.
The Sheriff's Department has stated that a Family Liaison Officer will assist the Faulkner family as they deal with the loss of their loved one.
