Wyandotte County inmate dies after officer kneels on his back, autopsy reveals
An inmate at the Wyandotte County Jail died July 5 after an officer knelt on his back, according to an autopsy report that ruled the inmate’s death a homicide.
Charles L. Adair, 50, was being held in the jail for failure to appear in court for misdemeanor traffic offenses. After receiving treatment for a pre-existing leg injury, Adair was being pushed in a wheelchair back to a cell, according to an autopsy report obtained by The Star.
When Adair was removed from the chair, he began yelling and physically resisting officers, authorities said. Multiple deputies responded to the disturbance and handcuffed Adair. The altercation led to one of the officers “kneeling on the decedent’s back,” according to the autopsy report.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said in a statement Friday that a medical examiner ruled Adair’s death had been caused by mechanical asphyxia, or when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.
Other factors also contributed to Adair’s death, including hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and hepatic cirrhosis due to chronic alcoholism. Adair also wore a pacemaker, according to the autopsy.
The autopsy found small scrapes on Adair’s skin and hemorrhages, or bruises, on his back and shoulders. The medical examiner also observed multiple rib fractures and a sternal fracture, the autopsy shows.
The autopsy was completed July 8 by Feng Li, a medical examiner with Forensic Medical of Kansas. There was nothing abnormal in the toxicology report, Li said in his report.
KBI investigates Adair’s death
The KBI was called on to investigate Adair’s death. The agency investigates all in-custody deaths which occur in Kansas jails and prisons unless the inmate who died was being regularly attended by a physician or the death is ruled natural by an autopsy.
Friday, the KBI said it sent its findings to the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office for any applicable charges.
The Star has reached out to the district attorney’s office for comment on whether they will file charges in the case, and has not yet heard back.
In a July news release, the KBI said investigators did not observe any obvious signs of physical injury on Adair resulting from the incident. The KBI’s statement Friday made no mention of Adair’s injuries discovered in the autopsy report.
After Adair had been handcuffed, shortly after 8:30 p.m., deputies placed him on the lower bunk of his cell. They began attempting to remove the handcuffs and Adair continued to resist, according to a KBI statement. Deputies gained control, removed the cuffs and left the cell, the KBI said.
Minutes later, at 8:37 p.m., medical staff were called to evaluate Adair who was found unresponsive. Life-saving measures were initiated until EMS arrived and continued medical intervention.
Adair was pronounced dead at 9:19 p.m.
The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office has not yet returned a records request made by The Star asking for the jail’s policy on restraints. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office declined to comment on the autopsy report.
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 1:47 PM.
