A detainee at the St. Louis City Justice Center died yesterday after being found unresponsive in his cell and taken to the hospital twice over the weekend. The man, whose identity has yet to be disclosed, was initially discovered on the floor of the jail by CJC staff and was immediately rushed to St. Louis University Hospital on Saturday. After undergoing treatment and a toxicology report which revealed no drug involvement, he was suspected of having suffered from seizures, according to a statement obtained by KSDK.
The same detainee was then discharged and returned to the facility, only to be found once again unresponsive the following morning. Despite quick transportation to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, he was pronounced dead upon arrival. This tragic incident notches up the count to 19 detainees passing away while in custody at the CJC since 2020. Details of the death are pending as the medical examiner's report is still to be completed, interim Corrections Commissioner Doug Burris commented to KSDK.
During a mayoral debate, Mayor Tishaura Jones and her challenger, Alderman Cara Spencer, expressed their condolences as reported by KSDK. Mayor Jones remarked, "A lot of times our detainees come to us with multiple co-morbidities and multiple illnesses," to highlight the complexity of managing the health of detainees who often have not seen a doctor for extended periods. Spencer, echoing the mayor's sentiments, emphasized the need for full staffing to ensure that detainees receive adequate medical transport and care.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Force Investigations Unit has moved quickly to investigate the cause of the detainee's death, as they are responsible for looking into all in-custody fatalities, FOX 2 Now reported. With no apparent signs of trauma found, early investigations suggest that a medical emergency was likely the cause. The CJC has come into focus recently for concerns regarding inmate conditions, with detainees like Brandon Jones Sr. sharing their experiences of life inside the facility and the challenges faced, as he told 5 On Your Side.
As the investigation unfolds, further information is expected to be released following the conclusion of the medical examiner's analysis. More information about the circumstances leading to the man's death will become available once the St. Louis Metropolitan Police conclude their inquiry, as per First Alert 4's coverage.
