36 year old man dies in Utah police custody
A 36-year-old man’s death has died in Utah police custody, becoming the tenth such fatality in the state since 2016, say reports.
Deputies discovered the inmate, Matthew David Lach, unresponsive inside his cell on Tuesday morning some hours prior to a medical assessment, said Davis County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) in a statement.
Paramedics provided treatment “to no avail”, said DCSO, who conducted 30-minute round checks on Lach and other inmates.
Lach, who was arrested on Sunday over domestic violence, intoxication, and warrants, becomes the tenth person to die in Davis County custody since 2016, reported local news station KUTV.
Sheriff Kelly Sparks said last month that all protocols — including new ones designed to stop inmate suicides — were carried-out prior to a 25-year-old man’s death on 6 June.
“Our hearts go out to the loved ones of the deceased,” said Ms Sparks on Tuesday. “Public trust and accountability are priorities to our Office, and the death of someone in our care and custody is never something we take lightly.”
“The death will be investigated internally and will also be investigated both by an outside police agency and by the State Medical Examiner’s Office,” she added.
The DCSO suggested that a Safety Committee investigation, which includes Davis County citizens, could see more procedures introduced.
The committee was set-up last year amid multiple inmate suicides in Davis County, and two lawsuits against authorities over wrongful deaths, reported KUTV.
The first changes the committee made – which see new inmates medically screened – had been implemented prior to Lach’s death.
More inmate deaths per capita took place in Utah than any other state in 2017, leading lawmakers to ask all counties to report inmate deaths.
A statewide report last year said some 38 deaths had been suicide, among 71 deaths overall in Utah county jails.
Lach’s death comes amid intense scrutiny over police actions following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in Minneapolis police custody in May.
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