Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail inmate dies overnight

Peter Coutu, The Virginian-Pilot
·1 min read

Officials found an inmate unresponsive in a Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail cell early Sunday morning. The person was later taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

An officer found the inmate, who came to the jail on Friday, while conducting a security round around 1 a.m. Sunday morning, Sara Mahayni, a spokeswoman for the jail, wrote in a news release. The officer declared the situation a “medical emergency" and emergency medical services and James City County police responded.

Jail staff is waiting on test results from the preliminary autopsy report to determine the cause of death.

Officials did not identify the person who died. Mahayni said the death will be investigated by the Department of Corrections, as all in-custody deaths are reviewed.

Peter Coutu, 757-222-5124, peter.coutu@pilotonline.com

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