A 43-year-old man at the county jail, who had been arrested on a DUI charge, appears to have died of natural causes, a sheriff's spokesman says.
By CHRIS TISCH
Published June 26, 2003
LARGO - Sheriff's officials are investigating the death of an inmate Wednesday morning at the Pinellas County Jail.
Fellow inmates found the 43-year-old man unresponsive in his bed and told corrections deputies at 8:18 a.m. that he "didn't look well," said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Greg Tita.
Tita said the man may have been dead for hours, as he had rigor mortis. Paramedics pronounced him dead at 8:35 a.m. The inmate shared a large podlike cell with 33 other men, Tita said.
Sheriff's officials did not release the man's name Wednesday because detectives were still seeking family members to notify.
The man had been in the jail since March, when Gulfport police arrested him on charges of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. He also was wanted on warrants from Osceola and Polk counties.
Tita said the man was last seen alive around midnight. He said deputies regularly check on the inmates but wouldn't necessarily notice if an inmate died in his sleep.
"Our best guess is that during the night, he just died," Tita said.
Detectives think the man has family members in Nevada.
Every death at the jail is investigated. But Tita said this one does not appear to be suspicious. There were no signs of trauma.
The man was the seventh Pinellas County Jail inmate to die since Nov. 5.
More than 50,000 people are booked into the Pinellas jail every year, Tita said.
"The percentages (of deaths) really aren't that staggering when you consider how many people come through there," he said.
At the Hillsborough County Jail, by comparison, one inmate has died this year.
An autopsy probably will be performed today, Tita said. He could not discuss whether the man had health problems because of new federal laws regarding medical confidentiality, he said. Each inmate receives a medical screening when booked.
"They do get adequate treatment. They see doctors on a regular basis," Tita said.
