James Cooper
By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Sheriff-Coroner David O. Livingston announced today that a Coroner’s Jury has reached a finding in the January 24, 2018 death of 45-year-old Jeffrey James Darryl Cooper of Vallejo. The finding of the jury is that the death is an accident.
The Coroner’s Jury reached the verdict after hearing the testimony of witnesses called by the hearing officer, Matthew Guichard.
A Coroner’s Inquest, which Sheriff-Coroner Livingston convenes in fatal incidents involving peace officers, is a public hearing, during which a jury rules on the manner of a person’s death. Jury members can choose from the following four options when making their finding: Accident, Suicide, Natural Causes, or At the hands of another person, other than by accident.
At about 12:47 AM on Jan. 24, 2018, a Deputy Sheriff was doing a room check at the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF) when he noticed Cooper was unresponsive in his bunk. The Deputy immediately called for medical assistance and started CPR.
Medical staff at MDF continued life-saving measures. An ambulance and the fire department responded to MDF. Cooper was later pronounced deceased. On January 18, 2018, he was booked into MDF on a warrant for domestic violence. He also had three arrest warrants from Solano County. His death appeared to be medically related. (See related article).
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