Washington County Sheriff Reports 3rd In-Custody Death In 6 Weeks

HILLSBORO, OR — A 51-year-old man died Wednesday evening while in custody in the Washington County Jail, the third such death in six weeks, the Washington County Sheriff's Office announced Friday.

The sheriff's office did not release details about the man, who was not identified pending notification of next of kin. The Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause of death.

The death occurred as a new company – NaphCare – took over providing health care at the jail on June 1. It replaced Correction Health Partners, which handled health care at the jail for the past two years.

It was not the first death in the jail in recent months.

On April 17, Bryce Bybee died in the same jail, the sheriff's office said. On May 24, Crystal Leuenberger died in custody, the sheriff's office said. They were each found unresponsive in their cells. No cause of death was announced for either, the sheriff's office said.

The man who died Wednesday was in a holding area when a sheriff's deputy noticed that he wasn't breathing, the sheriff's office said. Deputies and paramedics tried to revive the man but were unsuccessful, according to the sheriff's office.

"This is unprecedented for our jail," Sheriff Pat Garrett said in a statement. "As I continue my commitment to transparency and improvement, I will arrange an outside entity to conduct an additional review separate from the MCT (Major Crimes Team) investigation."