Pima County Prisoner Dies After Medical Emergency

TUCSON, AZ — An inmate died early Saturday morning after being found in distress and having difficulty breathing in his cell, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department. The inmate's cause of death has not yet been determined, but an investigation is ongoing.

Corrections officers responded to an inmate experiencing a medical emergency around 4 a.m., according to a press release.

"Corrections officers entered the cell and observed the inmate in distress and having difficulty breathing," the sheriff's department said in a statement. "They requested medical staff respond and began administering emergency life-saving measures."

The Tucson Fire Department arrived shortly afterward and brought the inmate to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead just before 5 a.m., the release said.

The inmate was 38-year-old Evan Hizer. It is currently unclear what the "medical emergency" was, but the department said an investigation into Hizer's death was continuing.

The Arizona Department of Corrections referred a request for comment to the Pima County Sheriff's Department, which did not immediately respond. No other information has been released at this time.