A 66-year-old man was found dead early this morning in his cell at the Sacramento County Main Jail.
Sheriff's officials said that the man had been in custody since Dec. 6, when he was booked on suspicion of felony evasion of a peace officer, hit and run, assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving.
Shortly before 4 a.m. today, a deputy went to the man's cell to check on him and found him hanging with a piece of cloth around his neck, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. The deputy immediately entered the cell and removed the cloth.
Officials said the deputy and medical staff at the jail attempted to perform life-saving measures. Emergency personnel from outside the facility arrived and continued to perform CPR. The resuscitation efforts failed, however, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man's name has not been released pending notification of family.
The Sheriff's Department will complete an inmate death investigation in accordance with department procedures and state laws, officials said. The Sacramento County Coroner's Office will determine the cause of death and report its findings.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.