A 26-year-old man died Friday evening while in custody at the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle, with officials confirming an internal investigation is now underway as required under Washington law.
An officer found the man unresponsive shortly before 11 p.m. during a routine headcount in a ninth-floor housing unit. Jail staff began life-saving measures, which continued after Seattle Fire arrived, but efforts to revive him were ultimately unsuccessful.
The man had been in custody since 12 June on charges originating out of Renton. His identity and additional details are expected to be released through the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, which will conduct a review to determine the official cause and manner of death.
As part of the standard review process for jail-related deaths, the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention will work alongside Public Health Seattle and King County to conduct an internal investigation. Under Washington state law, jails and prisons are required to review all unexpected in-custody deaths and publish findings within 120 days. Those reports are made publicly available through the Washington Department of Health and the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention.
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