MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Members of a jail watchdog group expressed their concerns after almost a dozen jail employees were on leave.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the Montgomery County Jail Coalition explained its concerns about conditions inside the jail.
This comes after the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office released new information after a 25-year-old man died in jail custody in March.
“The only thing I can say is that something has to be done,” said Yvonne Currington. “Something has to be done. There have to be changes.”
News Center 7 previously reported that Christian Black, 25, of Zanesville died on March 26.
Preliminary findings suggest that Black likely died of positional asphyxia, according to a media release from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
Positional asphyxia happens when someone’s position prevents the person from breathing adequately.
After getting this information, Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said he placed all ten employees involved in Black’s restraint on paid administrative leave.
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News Center 7’s Mason Fletcher spoke with Yvonne Currington. She spent 45 years as an ER nurse and told Fletcher she has a lot of experience with patients similar to people who show up at the county jail.
“We had to protect them in us. But we couldn’t abuse them. We didn’t abuse them. We medicated them to help them calm down,” she said.
Streck said on social media that staff members used force to put Black in a restraint chair after he banged his head against his cell door.
He lost consciousness in the chair and medics transported him to the hospital, where he died.
The social media post also said the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office was still investigating. But Fletcher said early findings suggested Black’s cause of death is positional asphyxia, when someone’s position prevents them from breathing properly.
“I’m concerned because this particular inmate was there less than 12 hours, had no previous history of health problems or anything else, and was dead,” said Currington.
Another coalition member sent Fletcher a statement Thursday night.
“I am so deeply disturbed the lack of accountability and transparency in our correctional system,” the statement said in part.
“Where were these ten people while all this was happening? Was nobody watching him? Was nobody tending to him?” asked Currington.
“Do you believe that Christian Black’s was preventable?” Fletcher asked her.
“Absolutely,” she answered.
Sheriff Streck said that his office will continue cooperating with any investigations to ensure accountability and transparency.
We will continue to follow this investigation.
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