Crime & Safety
Man, 24, Arrested in Walnut Creek Found Dead in Martinez Jail
Unidentified inmate, arrested on warrant, was in "safety cell" and checked regularly, officials said.
By Bay City News
An inmate at the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez who had talked about harming himself was found dead inside a cell this morning, a sheriff's spokesman said.
The 24-year-old man was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility after being arrested in Walnut Creek on an outstanding warrant and for allegedly resisting arrest, according to Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jimmy Lee.
According to Lee, the man made statements during his medical screening at the jail about wanting to hurt himself.
Deputies placed him in a "safety cell" and checked on him regularly, the spokesman said.
Lee said deputies went to the cell around 7:35 a.m. and found the man unresponsive. Medical staff rendered emergency medical aid and the fire department was called to the jail, Lee said.
The man was taken to Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez, where he was later pronounced dead.
His name is being withheld pending notification of relatives.
The sheriff's office is investigating the death, per standard procedure in the event of an in-custody fatality.
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