Inmate Puts Sock in Throat, Dies in Cell
A 40-year-old inmate of the Los Angeles Police Department Pacific Division jail died Sunday after he apparently pushed a sock down his own throat, officials reported.
The inmate was being held for an alleged drug violation, said Lt. Charles Higbie of the Los Angeles Police Department in-custody death investigation team. A Santa Monica area resident, the inmate’s name was not released.
The man was arrested Friday on suspicion of being under the influence of opiates. Early Sunday he was placed in a cell by himself, Higbie said, because he was screaming.
During a routine morning inspection, the inmate was seen standing by his cell door, Higbie added. A few hours later, Higbie said, the man’s body was discovered while lunch was being served.
He had purportedly “poked a sock down his throat,” Higbie said.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, Higbie said, adding that an investigation will continue into the circumstances surrounding the death.
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