Lee’s Summit man dies after medical emergency in new Jackson County jail
A Lee’s Summit man died at a hospital on Saturday, two days after he had been found in a Jackson County jail cell having a medical emergency, the sheriff’s office said.
Inmates at the Jackson County Detention Center, 7000 E. U.S. Highway 40, notified corrections officers around 11 p.m. Thursday that an inmate needed help.
The officers responded to find a man in his cell having what appeared to be a medical emergency, according to a news release from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Paramedics from the Kansas City Fire Department responded and transported the man to a local hospital. After initial treatment, the man was placed on life support, the news release said.
Medical staff notified the sheriff’s office that the man died just after 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
The sheriff’s office has not yet publicly identified the man who died, other than saying he is a 42-year-old from Lee’s Summit.
According to Capt. Ronda Montgomery, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, the inmate had no contact with other inmates or staff leading up to his medical emergency.
There were no obvious signs of foul play on the man’s body or at the scene, the spokesperson said. However, sheriff’s office detectives are investigating the circumstances of his death.
A Jackson County Medical Examiner has not yet determined the man’s cause and manner of death, Montgomery said.
Jackson County transitioned to its new $300 million detention center in May. The 470,000-square-foot facility, located in east Kansas City, was designed to replace the 1300 Cherry Street downtown jail.
Previous reporting from The Star revealed the new facility has faced early challenges, including staffing shortages and water intrusion issues. Families of inmates have also reported concerns over living conditions, extreme water temperatures and food problems.
Jackson County Sheriff Darryl Forte has said the issues at the inmates site are typical of a facility transition.
Previous reporting by The Star’s Bob Cronkleton and Ben Wheeler contributed.
