PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The interim superintendent of Hampton Roads Regional Jail said an autopsy was being done to determine how a 70-year-old inmate died Friday.
Col. Chris Walz said medical staff members found the inmate unconscious in his cell while they were on rounds around 5:15 a.m. They called a code and people with Portsmouth Emergency Medical Services came to the jail.
Walz said the inmate had underlying medical conditions. The 70-year-old arrived at the jail on April 9. He was supposed to serve a 1-year sentence out of Chesapeake for Habitual Offender 2nd Offense.
The jail contacted the Portsmouth Police Department, and the jail is conducting an administrative review. That's standard anytime someone dies in custody.