A routine medication pass at the Oklahoma County Detention Center turned fatal when staff found a 52-year-old woman in clear medical distress, started life-saving measures and had her rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Officials identified the woman as Sheila Prince, who had been booked on a domestic assault and battery with a dangerous weapon charge. The county's Criminal Investigation Division has opened an inquiry into what went wrong.
According to KFOR, detention center staff discovered Prince on Thursday during a medication pass and immediately began emergency care before EMSA paramedics took over. Paramedics transported her to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Officials have not released a cause of death while the Criminal Investigation Division reviews the circumstances around the incident.
The Criminal Investigation Division typically handles in-custody death investigations while the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office determines the cause and manner of death, local reporting notes. KOCO has reported on similar in-custody deaths at the jail in recent years, underscoring a pattern that has drawn steady public concern.
Jail's Recent Scrutiny
The Oklahoma County Detention Center was already under a microscope before Prince's death. A recent state health inspection flagged missed site checks, sanitation issues and gaps in monitoring inmates. The inspection, which cited safety and sanitation breaches, has fueled broader questions about conditions inside the facility. Local reporting has also traced a string of in-custody deaths that critics say should have prompted tougher oversight long ago.
What Officials Say And What Comes Next
County officials say the investigation into Prince's death is still in its early stages and that the state medical examiner will ultimately determine the official cause and manner of death. KGOU has noted that every in-custody death at the jail is routed to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and other oversight agencies as part of standard procedure.
Investigators have not released additional details about what happened before staff found Prince during the medication pass, and county officials did not immediately respond to requests for further comment, according to KFOR. The investigation remains active while authorities wait for the medical examiner's findings.
