Inmate at Clark County Jail dies after medical emergency

An inmate at the Clark County Jail died Sunday, two days after he suffered a medical emergency while being relocated, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Vancouver police arrested Mycheal J. Lynch, 32, on Friday on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving and hit-and-run of an unattended vehicle.

The Vancouver man was booked into the jail minutes after 6 p.m. on Friday and was placed in the medical unit at the jail. The medical unit is used to house inmates that need to be isolated for medical reasons separate from mental health problems, Jail Chief Ric Bishop said.

Two and a half hours later, Lynch initiated an alarm, prompting corrections deputies to respond to Lynch’s pod in the jail, according to the sheriff’s office. Corrections deputies determined Lynch should be moved to another area of the jail; however, Lynch did not cooperate, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies restrained Lynch, after which Lynch suffered a medical emergency, the sheriff’s office said.

Lynch was taken to a local medical facility by ambulance and was admitted into the intensive care unit of the facility. Lynch died at about 11:40 a.m. Sunday, according to the sheriff’s office.

How Lynch was restrained is part of an ongoing investigation into the matter, Bishop said.

Vancouver police major crimes detectives are leading the investigation into the incident. An autopsy is being conducted as part of the investigation.

“It’s important to determine all of the circumstances involved in this case,” Undersheriff Mike Cooke said in a press release. “We’ll refrain from making any unsupported comments or arriving at any conclusions until after the investigation is completed.”

It’s not the first time an inmate at the jail has died after being restrained. In 2012, Marius C. Asanachescu died from asphyxia while being restrained by custody officers. The homicide was ruled an accident and no charges were filed.