Inmate dies after being found hanging in cell at county jail

EVERETT — A young inmate found hanging in his Snohomish County Jail cell late last month has died.

The man, 21, died at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett around 6 p.m. Saturday, officials said Monday. Word on the cause of death was not immediately available.

The man was found unconscious around 12:30 a.m. on July 26 by a corrections officer making routine checks, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Shari Ireton said. The inmate had been alone in his cell.

The deputy and a jail sergeant provided CPR until medics arrived from the Everett Fire Department. The inmate was revived and transported to the hospital.

He had been booked into the Snohomish County Jail on warrants late the night of July 24 for alleged domestic violence assault, possessing stolen property and theft.

During the booking process, the man had been screened for medical and mental health issues.

“Nothing alerted deputies that he might need additional monitoring,” Ireton said.

He had been in the jail before and there had not been any mental health concerns during previous stays, she said.

At one point in his childhood, the inmate had received extensive mental health counseling, according to court r ecords.

As a teen in 2006, he was the one who found his father after he’d died. He spent time at a mental health hospital afterward.

In middle school, he was assigned to a classroom for students with sometimes challenging behaviors.

County officials have made several changes to try to reduce the number of deaths in the jail where 10 people have died since 2010. Inmate deaths outside of the jail, such as the man who died Saturday, have not been included in that total.

There has been an incident review as is standard procedure when inmates harm themselves or are harmed by others. The review found that staff followed policies and procedures, Ireton said.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.

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