RICHMOND, Va. -- A Richmond City Jail inmate who died this week has become at least the fifth inmate death since March 2022.
A spokesperson for Richmond Sheriff Antionette Irving's office said the inmate suffered a medical emergency Tuesday and was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Richmond Police and the sheriff's office have conducted an initial review of the death and an official cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner's Office.
Of the five recent inmate deaths, the medical examiner's office has confirmed three of them to be the result of a fentanyl overdose. Causes of death for the other two are still pending.
As previously reported by CBS 6, the sheriff's office has faced scrutiny from some city officials amid security challenges, a major shortage of deputies, and drug issues at the jail.
As of last month, the jail was short-staffed by 50% of its deputies with 170 on staff and another 170 positions that were vacant.
The staffing shortfall was described by Richmond Council's Vice President Kristen Nye as an "emergency situation" and a "crisis."
Amid ongoing safety concerns inside the jail, Richmond City Councilperson Reva Trammell, who chairs the council's Public Safety Committee, requested that Virginia's Public Safety Secretary Bob Mosier move the Board of Local and Regional Jails to launch an investigation into the jail's operations.
Per standard, the board, which oversees local jails, is investigating the jail's recent inmate deaths. All five reviews are still ongoing.
The board's executive director Ryan McCord said upon completion of those investigations, the board will determine whether additional state oversight of the city jail is warranted.
In previous interviews, Sheriff Irving has acknowledged the challenges the jail is facing, pointing to setbacks caused by COVID-19 and the civil unrest of 2020.
Irving told Richmond City Councilors in January that her top priority to improve conditions at the jail is to hire more staff.
She has consistently maintained that, while difficult given limited manpower, her security team is providing adequate oversight of the jail's inmates.
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