An inmate of Travis County died in early March after being discovered unresponsive in his cell, officials said.
Jeffrey Pope, 30, was found by Travis County Sheriff's Office staff at 6:14 pm on Feb. 29, according to a press release from the TCSO. Officers quickly administered CPR before Austin-Travis County EMS took over and transported him to a local hospital. Pope was pronounced dead on the morning of March 1.
Pope had been taken into custody on February 21 on a family violence assault charge. The cause of death was not immediately available, but per protocol, an investigation has been launched by multiple agencies including TCSO’s Internal Affairs Unit, Criminal Investigations Division, the Texas Rangers, and the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office.
An autopsy was carried out on March 2, and the results are pending, said Kristen Dark, the TCSO's Senior Public Information Officer. The full scope of the investigation is yet to be seen, but the incident raises questions about inmate safety and protocol within the correctional facility.
