Man passes away while in custody at the King County Correctional Facility

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A man died in custody at the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle on the morning of Dec. 30.

The 48-year-old had been sleeping in a dormitory-style housing unit on the ninth floor of the jail before an officer discovered him unresponsive around 6 a.m.

Staff attempted to revive him and were joined by Seattle Fire Department paramedics, who determined that he was deceased around 6:30 a.m.

The man had been in custody since Dec. 26, when he was booked on a misdemeanor warrant.

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

As part of the review process for all jail-related deaths, the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention will work with Public Health – Seattle & King County to conduct an internal investigation.

Jails and prisons in Washington also are required to review all unexpected in-custody fatalities and publish a report on the findings within 120 days of the death. (See RCW 70.48.510). These reports are published online by Washington's Department of Health and the Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention.