A 54-year-old Oakley man accused of firing at a Contra Costa County sheriff's deputy in January has died after an apparent suicide attempt while in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility, county officials said. Deputies found the inmate in his cell on May 4, and he was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 11:34 a.m.
In a post by the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, deputies discovered an inmate who had attempted suicide in his Martinez cell last Monday. The inmate was later identified as 54-year-old Raymond Smith of Oakley. The Sheriff’s Office said it has invoked the countywide law-enforcement fatal-incident protocol, and that its investigators are working jointly with the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office. The agency is asking anyone with information to call the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or leave an anonymous tip at (866) 846-3592.
How He Was Arrested
Smith was arrested on Jan. 12 after what started as a traffic stop in Oakley turned into a multi-hour manhunt and barricade situation. Deputies say he fired at a deputy and later tried to take his own life before being taken to a hospital, then booked into the Martinez Detention Facility, according to ABC7. A sheriff’s press release at the time described the standoff and said Smith would be booked on attempted murder and related firearms charges, per the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office.
Investigation And Oversight
Under Contra Costa County’s Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident protocol, the District Attorney’s Office conducts an independent review of deaths that occur during encounters with law enforcement and typically works alongside sheriff’s investigators to collect evidence and interview witnesses, according to county guidance. Those reviews usually draw on medical records, surveillance footage, forensic testing, and other evidence, and may result in a public report once the DA’s review is complete.
Local Context
The Martinez Detention Facility has logged other in-custody deaths earlier this year that also triggered the county protocol, putting a spotlight on how such cases are handled and disclosed. Those incidents, along with the sheriff’s statements about invoking the protocol in each case, help explain why investigators are treating Smith’s death as a law-enforcement-involved fatal incident, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
The County Coroner’s Division will determine the official cause and manner of death after an autopsy and any toxicology testing, according to the coroner’s office. Anyone with information about Smith’s case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600, email [email protected], or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message, per the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office.
