A recent surge of inmate deaths has occurred at the Snohomish County Jail, leaving many concerned about the cause of these unfortunate events. Around 9:20 p.m. Monday the 11th, a 42-year-old male was found unresponsive inside his cell at the Snohomish County Jail. The male was housed in the jail’s observation housing until. As a corrections deputy was conducting routine checks, the adult male was located unresponsive inside his cell. Corrections staff immediately called a medical emergency and began lifesaving measures. Attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful. The 42-year-old inmate had been booked into the jail by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, September 8th for first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, and residential burglary.
This comes as a shock, due to another death occurring just five days prior last Thursday the 7th. Just before 8:00 a.m. last Thursday, a 38-year-old male inmate was found unresponsive at the Snohomish County Jail. The male was housed with two other inmates in the jail’s medical housing unit on a medical detox watch. As deputies were conducting routine vital checks with medical staff, the male refused a vital check. Medical staff continued with vital checks on other inmates and returned to his cell approximately 22 minutes later for another attempt to check his vitals when they located the male unresponsive. Corrections staff immediately called a medical emergency and began lifesaving measures. Attempts to resuscitate the inmate were unsuccessful.
These kinds of medical emergencies are not uncommon at the Snohomish County Jail. This past May, correction deputies called a medical emergency at the jail. A corrections deputy was inside a housing module when he observed an inmate displaying symptoms of an opiate overdose. The deputy called for jail medical staff to respond to the module. While jail staff were treating the first inmate, a second inmate in the same module began displaying similar signs of an overdose. A total of seven inmates began displaying physical signs of an overdose and were administered Narcan. Everett Fire responded and transported all seven inmates to Providence Regional Medical Center. All the inmates were conscious when transported and are expected to survive. Five of the inmates have since been released from the hospital and have returned to the jail. The housing module where the medical emergencies occurred is currently locked down and all inmates are being strip searched. The Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force responded to the scene and is conducting a criminal investigation. At this time, detectives believe fentanyl was brought inside the facility by an inmate and have identified a suspect. Eventually, Fentanyl was recovered from the suspect’s cell.
The identity of the inmates, as well as the cause and manner of death, will be determined by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office. This is an ongoing investigation and this article will be updated as more information made available.
