By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff and the Contra Costa DA’s Office are currently investigating an in-custody death that occurred at the Martinez Detention Facility this afternoon.
The inmate, who is not being identified at this time, was arrested on December 31, 2022, by Antioch police for misdemeanor spousal battery. Upon entering Intake, he tested positive for Covid and was assigned to a module on quarantine status and housed alone. He was screened by County Health Services and cleared for incarceration by Medical and Mental Health staff.
On Jan. 3, 2023, at approximately 1:22pm, deputies conducted a room check and observed no movement from the inmate. Deputies made entry and called for jail medical staff to respond. Life-saving measures were attempted by deputies, medical staff and paramedics. He was later pronounced deceased at the scene. There were no immediate signs of trauma or anything suspicious.
The countywide law enforcement involved fatal incident protocol was invoked and the investigation is ongoing.
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