Officials: Bridgeville man given Narcan at Allegheny County Jail, dies a day later in hospital
Several doses of Narcan were administered Sunday at the Allegheny County Jail to a Bridgeville man. He died the following day at a Pittsburgh hospital.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as James Washington, 42, who died about 5 p.m. Monday at UPMC Mercy Hospital.
A cause of death hasn’t been released.
County jail officials said Washington appeared to be in medical distress and was unresponsive Sunday when a corrections officer was distributing breakfast in a processing area of the jail. It happened around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, the medical examiner reported.
Correctional and medical staff administered four doses of Narcan to Washington while waiting for emergency medical personnel to arrive, officials said. They said he was responsive when he left the jail for transport to the hospital. Narcan is generally administered to reverse the effects of a drug overdose.
Dr. Ashley Brinkman, the jail’s health services administrator, commended the staff for “responding so quickly and working to stabilize the individual.”
Later Sunday, jail officials notified Washington’s emergency contact and the Jail Oversight Board about the incident.
On Monday morning, jail officials said, a court order was issued releasing Washington from their custody, and they received no further information about him.
Washington died at the hospital at about 5 p.m. Monday, according to the medical examiner.
Washington was facing charges in two criminal cases, according to online court records, but it was unclear why he was being processed into the jail.
Jail officials said he’d been brought to the facility on Friday by a local police department. The jail’s health care staff initiated a “detox protocol” for Washington after two drug screens indicated the presence of opiates — including fentanyl — cocaine and other drugs, officials said.
“As is the case with all incidents at the jail, the jail administration will conduct a review and the Allegheny County Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit will also review,” county officials said.
The jail increased its focus on intake medical screenings based on recommendations from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.
The last death at the jail, a natural one, occurred in September, officials said.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.