DATE: December 18, 2023
SUBJECT: Inmate Dies at Hospital after Fight at Jail
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-NR-1218
CONTACT: Sheriff Noah Robinson
AUTHORITY: Sheriff Noah Robinson
On Friday, December 15, 2023, at approximately 7:00 PM, confinement officers at the Vanderburgh County Jail responded to a fight occurring in the “B1” housing unit. Two inmates fought for about 90 seconds while repeatedly resisting responding officer’s attempts to separate them.
No weapons were used by either inmate and no force was used by the responding officers other than their attempts to restrain the inmates from fighting one another. Both inmates refused medical attention and declined to press charges against one another for Battery.
Within the next hour, jail medical staff would respond twice to the cell of one of the involved inmates. First to assess a complaint of pain and then later when the inmate collapsed. CPR was begun by jail staff and then continued by the Evansville Fire Department, culminating in the inmate’s transport to the hospital by ambulance.
Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Section were called out to investigate given the escalating nature of the inmate’s medical condition. Statements were taken from witnesses and security camera footage was preserved.
A deputy that accompanied the inmate to the emergency room later reported that he expired at approximately 9:10 PM.
An autopsy was conducted on Sunday, December 17, 2023. The name of the deceased and the preliminary cause of death will be released by the Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office contacted the Indiana State Police, who has taken over the investigation. Sheriff’s Office policy dictates that an outside agency investigate all cases involving an in custody death.
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