A 42-year-old man, identified as Richard Woodford, died in custody at the San Diego Central Jail last Wednesday, according to a news release from the San Diego Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office conveyed their condolences to Woodford's family and disclosed that they have appointed a Sheriff's Family Liaison Officer to support his family through their bereavement.
Reportedly, on the evening of his death, at about 5:54 p.m., other incarcerated individuals notified deputies that Woodford was unresponsive in a housing module shower area. The responding deputies presumed a medical emergency and, moving him via wheelchair, began transferring Woodford to the jail medical unit. Paramedics arrived thereafter, and despite concerted lifesaving efforts, Woodford was pronounced deceased.
Woodford had been brought into custody last Tuesday, just a day before his death, for misdemeanors, including intent to defraud and charges related to possession of a controlled substance and related paraphernalia. At the time of his arrest, Sheriff's Office records detailed by the San Diego Sheriff's Office indicated that he was homeless. The Citizen's Law Enforcement Review Board was notified of the incident, following protocol for any in-custody death.
While the Medical Examiner's Office will be responsible for ascertaining the definitive cause and manner of Woodford's death, the Sheriff's Homicide Unit will oversee a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
