ST. LOUIS — An investigation is underway after a St. Louis man died while in custody Sunday at the St. Louis City Justice Center.
Monte Chambers, a spokesman for the city's Department of Public Safety, said a detainee experienced a medical emergency and was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Attorney Mark Pedroli, who is representing the inmate's family, identified him as Carlton Bernard. Bernard, 32, had been at the City Justice Center since June 20 on a charge of third-degree assault, court records show.
Corrections officials have not released Bernard's cause of death. Pedroli said Bernard's family has not been told anything about the circumstances leading to his death other than he died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.
An autopsy was performed and trauma as a cause of death was ruled out through x-rays and a physical examination, according to St. Louis' Medical Examiner Dr. Kanayo Tatsumi.
The official cause of death and manner will remain undetermined pending toxicology results. The results and other studies will come back between six to eight weeks, according to Tatsumi.
Bernard was still listed in jail records as being in custody, though the facility he is listed as being in is “unknown.”
The incident happened just two days before a guard was held hostage for around two hours while inmates demanded hot food in exchange for his release.
A corrections officer let two inmates out of their cells to help hand out breakfast trays. One inmate proceeded to strike him in the head and the other followed suit after he fell to the ground.
According to a source, both inmates then dragged the guard into the showers, took his mace, keys and handcuffs, and handcuffed him to the shower area. They then shackled his legs and removed him from the showers.
Just before 8:30 a.m., the injured guard was carried on a stretcher from the Justice Center to an ambulance. The department said he was treated at a hospital for minor injuries and released.
St. Louis police confirmed Wednesday that five inmates were arrested in relation to the incident and charges will be sought. The inmates were already being held at the Justice Center on various charges; three of the inmates were awaiting trial on murder charges.
