Montgomery County inmate dies after being taken to hospital

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

A man in the Montgomery County Jail died Friday after he was taken to the hospital.

Early Wednesday morning, Douglas Sutton, 56, was not feeling well and was taken to the jail’s medical unit, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Jail medical staff decided Sutton should be transported to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

Judge Timothy O’Connell granted a medical furlough on Thursday, according to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court records.

The furlough was due “to a medical emergency that is life threatening” and would last until he was discharged from the hospital, court documents read.

Sutton died at the hospital on Friday, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Preliminary investigations conducted by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reveal no indication of drug use, foul play, or assault,” read a statement from the sheriff’s office. “The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit is waiting for the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office to determine the cause of death.”

Between January and July this year, there have been seven inmate deaths at the jail, leading to debate over the effectiveness of jail treatment. In September Montgomery County announced a $20 million renovation project at the jail that would create 100 additional medical beds and cut 226 general population beds.

Sutton was facing two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and one count of discharge of firearm on or near prohibited premises, according to court records.

The charges stemmed from a deadly road rage shooting in Harrison Twp. in September that killed 22-year-old Gary Bailey.

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