- Lake County News reports
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Authorities investigate death of one inmate, illnesses of four others at Mendocino County Jail
The situation unfolded early Friday afternoon, according to a report from Capt. Gregory Van Patten from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
At noon on Friday the Mendocino County Jail control board operator received an intercom call from a cell located in a module within the facility's main jail building. The intercom call was initiated by an inmate housed in a two-person occupied cell who asked for a corrections deputy to respond to the cell, Van Patten said.
Van Patten said a corrections deputy responded and noticed one male inmate in the cell was unconscious with discoloring in the face which suggested a life-threatening breathing problem. The floor deputy immediately summoned the assistance of other correctional staff to include on-duty facility medical personnel.
The deputy entered the cell and began to provide lifesaving techniques for a potential choking situation as the housing unit had just concluded lunch in a group setting before returning to their assigned cells for housing purposes, Van Patten said.
During this process it appeared the inmate was not choking and multiple doses of Narcan were administered due to a suspected drug overdose. As a result, Van Patten said the inmate began to show signs of recovery and improved health.
During this time, Van Patten said a corrections lieutenant began to perform a walk-through of the housing module to assess the health and safety of the other male inmates housed in this specific housing module.
During an inspection of a nearby cell, the lieutenant found an unresponsive male inmate who was housed by himself. Van Patten said correctional staff and personnel with the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority entered the cell and began providing medical aid to include the use of Narcan.
Van Patten said the lieutenant continued the walk-through of the housing module and inspected a nearby cell which contained three male inmates. The lieutenant noticed one of the male inmates had an abnormally pale complexion and was sweating. Correctional and medical staff provided aid to the inmate to include the use of Narcan. These efforts resulted in an observed improvement in the inmate's physical condition.
The lieutenant continued the walk-through of the housing module and inspected a nearby cell which contained one male inmate, Van Patten said. The inmate was lying on the floor and was unconscious. Correctional staff and ambulance personnel, who had just arrived at the jail, entered the cell and provided medical aid to the inmate to include the use of Narcan.
Van Patten said the lieutenant continued the walk-through of the housing module and inspected a nearby cell which contained three male inmates. The lieutenant noticed one of the inmates had an abnormally pale complexion and was sweating.
As the lieutenant interacted with the inmate, he noticed the inmate began to display an altered level of consciousness. Van Patten said correctional and medical staff entered the cell and began to provide medical aid to include the use of Narcan on this specific inmate. As a result, the inmate began to show signs of recovery and improved health.
In total, five male inmates were provided medical aid for life-threatening suspected overdose conditions while being housed in the same housing module in the Mendocino County Jail, Van Patten said.
These five male inmates were alive during on-site medical aid efforts and were subsequently transported by ambulance to a hospital for further medical treatment for their continued life-threatening medical conditions, Van Patten said.
However, Van Patten said one inmate later died after arriving at the hospital.
The identity of the deceased inmate is not available for public release at this time pending notification of their next of kin, Van Patten said.
Van Patten said Mendocino County Sheriff's detectives and investigators with the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office are conducting investigations in connection with the Mendocino County Fatal Incident Protocol.
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