The following is a statement released on the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page:
On December 2, 2020 at approximately 7:49 PM, Corrections Deputies were performing routine cell checks on inmates housed in the Mendocino County Jail facility. An inmate began summoning deputies to their cell.
When staff arrived, they noticed one of the two inmates in the cell was on the floor. Deputies entered the cell and saw that the inmate, a 32-year-old male, was unresponsive and was turning blue. Deputies immediately summoned on-site medical staff to assist with the non-responsive inmate and emergency medical personnel were called.
While waiting for medical staff to arrive, the deputies repositioned the inmate and noticed that his breathing improved slightly. Additional correctional staff arrived bring an automatic external defibrillator and oxygen. Jail medical staff arrived, performed an immediate assessment and administered oxygen. After reassessing the inmate, a single dose of Narcan was given. The inmate’s condition began improving immediately after the Narcan was given.
Emergency medical personnel arrived and the inmate was transported to an area hospital by ambulance. He was returned to the jail after receiving a medical evaluation by emergency room staff.
The inmate involved in this incident had been in custody for a substantial amount of time. It is suspected that the inmate may have been able to obtain some form of narcotic from another inmate that was recently housed. Persons arrested often hide drugs and other contraband in body orifices when they are brought into jail making it extremely difficult for staff to detect and recover.
