26-year-old man dies at King County Jail 2 weeks after booking

A 26-year-old man in custody at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle died on Friday, two weeks after he was placed in jail.

Shortly before 11 p.m., an officer found the man unresponsive while conducting a headcount of the ninth-floor housing unit of the downtown Seattle jail, the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) announced Monday.

Jail staff attempted to perform life-saving measures until the Seattle Fire Department responded and took over. Despite life-saving efforts, the man died at the jail.

DAJD noted the man had been in custody since June 12 on charges out of Renton.

Internal investigation underway, as required for all in-custody deaths

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office will review and determine the cause and manner of death. The individual’s identity, along with other details, will be released on the Medical Examiner’s website.

As with all jail-related deaths, the review process will include the DAJD working alongside Public Health — Seattle & King County for an internal investigation.

DAJD mentioned that all jails and prisons in Washington are required to review all unexpected in-custody fatalities and publish a report on the findings within 120 days of the death.

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