Officials to investigate incarcerated man's death at Yavapai County Jail

Perry Vandell, Arizona Republic
·2 min read
A 21-year-old man who appears to have died by suicide at Yavapai County Jail in Camp Verde had been sentenced on Jan. 5 to 180 days in jail after being arrested by Prescott Valley police in September 2022 for burglary.
A 21-year-old man who appears to have died by suicide at Yavapai County Jail in Camp Verde had been sentenced on Jan. 5 to 180 days in jail after being arrested by Prescott Valley police in September 2022 for burglary.

Officials are investigating the death of a man incarcerated who appeared to have died by suicide at the Yavapai County Jail in Camp Verde.

Kristin Greene, a spokesperson for Yavapai County, said detention deputies found a 21-year-old man unresponsive in a treatment facility while he waited for a bed to be assigned. The deputies administered CPR while waiting for emergency responders to arrive, but the man was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.

Greene said the man had been sentenced on Jan. 5 to 180 days in jail after being arrested by Prescott Valley police in September 2022 for burglary. Greene did not identify the man, stating it was against county policy to identify those who died by suicide.

Across the state, The Republic found that at least once a month, someone dies during an arrest or in a county jail. These deaths rarely receive public attention.

Advocates and criminal-justice experts say discrepancies in reporting and investigating these in-custody deaths make it difficult to know how widespread a problem they are or to address the underlying causes.

In Arizona, The Republic found at least 64 cases in which a person died in a county jail or during an arrest between Jan. 1, 2017, and Aug. 4, 2020. On average, that means it happens every 21 days, based on The Republic's data.

Services for Arizonans in crisis include:

  • Dial 2-1-1 to reach 211 Arizona.

  • Solari Crisis & Human Services offers a free, statewide crisis line 24/7/365 — dial 844-534-HOPE (4673). Help is also available 24/7/365 via text by texting “hope” to 4HOPE (4673).

  • The National Suicide Prevention Line is available 24/7 at 800-273-8255 in English and 888-628-9454 in Spanish. It's free and confidential for those in distress who need prevention or crisis resources for themselves or loved ones.

  • La Frontera Empact Suicide Prevention Center's crisis line serves Maricopa and Pinal counties 24/7 at 480-784-1500.

  • Teen Lifeline 24/7 crisis line serves teens at 602-248-8336 for Maricopa County and 800-248-8336 statewide.

  • The Trevor Project Lifeline serves LGBTQ youth at 866-488-7386.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Officials investigate incarcerated man's death at Yavapai County Jail