Medical Overview of Sudden In-Custody Deaths

Abstract

Because of the large number of individuals who are in the custody of law enforcement at any one time, deaths of individuals can occur and should be expected. Estimates regarding the exact numbers of custody deaths vary, but roughly occur at a rate of 0.1 per 100,000 of the total population of citizens in a given community (1). When these deaths are studied, well over half that occur in custody are attributable to natural causes (2–5). These natural causes are primarily from heart disease, other atherosclerotic diseases, seizure disorders, and alcohol and drug abuse. A large proportion of the remaining deaths in custody are the result of suicide or homicidal and unintentional lethal acts of violence (2). In many of these cases, the victim is simply found dead in the jail cell and a clear cause of death can be determined at the scene or on autopsy