ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A St. Louis County Jail inmate died Saturday after being found on the floor of his cell during a medical check.
According to St. Louis County spokesman Doug Moore, 59-year-old Donald Matthews was booked into the jail shortly before 11:30 p.m. Thursday on charges of first-degree stalking and a protection order violation.
At 8:30 Saturday morning, Matthews ate breakfast in his cell and told jail officials he was fine during a routine check.
Ten minutes after the check, Moore said, jail staff came by Matthews' cell as part of a check on some inmates because Matthews had refused a drug screening when he was booked Thursday night.
Upon arrival at Matthews' cell, staff found Matthews on the floor of his cell. Moore said Matthews spoke to jail officers and was helped back into bed, going in and out of consciousness.
Moore said at 8:45 a.m., an emergency call for medical assistance was made to all jail radios, and at 8:47 a.m. 911 was called.
EMS arrived at the jail at 8:53 a.m., and at 9:20 a.m. the ambulance departed the jail with Matthews, heading for a local hospital, Moore said.
Moore said the ambulance arrived at the hospital six minutes later and Matthews was pronounced dead at 9:44 a.m.
Matthews' exact cause of death has not been released.
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