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Police investigating after inmate dies from ‘medical episode’ in Norfolk City Jail

Posted at 2:16 PM, May 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-08 14:18:52-04

John McCall

NORFOLK, Va. – Police are investigating after an inmate passed away at the Norfolk City Jail on Wednesday.

At around 1:29 a.m., a Norfolk sheriff’s deputy found an unresponsive male inmate. The deputy immediately called for medical assistance.

Norfolk City Jail’s in-house medical team arrived at 1:31 a.m. EMS arrived at 1:36 a.m. Both the jail’s in-house medical team and EMS attempted to provide life saving measures, police say.

The inmate, 56-year-old John McCall, was pronounced dead at 1:49 a.m. McCall was arrested by EVMS Police on May 6, on a charge of Trespass.

He was not given a bond. McCall received a comprehensive medical screening as with any inmate booked into the Norfolk City Jail.

McCall had a chronic, existing medical condition for which he was receiving treatment. Those details will not be released due to privacy restrictions of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).

Norfolk Sheriff’s Office will conduct an internal review of this incident and the Norfolk Police Department will conduct the death investigation.

Initial investigation revealed McCall appears to have suffered a medical episode moments before being discovered by a sheriff’s deputy.

There are no initial indications of foul play or suicide. The official cause and manner of death, however, will be determined by the medical examiner.