Mecklenburg jail inmate found unresponsive in cell on Saturday has died, sheriff says
An investigation is underway into the death of a Mecklenburg County jail inmate found unconscious in his cell little more than an hour after he’d been jailed Saturday, Sheriff Garry McFadden said.
The inmate, 43-year-old George Wesley Benfield, was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour after he was found unresponsive at 3:09 a.m., McFadden said in a news release.
“Lifesaving measures were administered and continued until emergency medical personnel arrived,” according to the statement.
Firefighters and paramedics “continued lifesaving efforts” as they took Benfield to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:06 a.m., McFadden said.
Benfield was taken to the sheriff’s office processing center at 8:17 p.m. Friday, McFadden said. He was then jailed at 1:45 a.m., according to the sheriff
The State Bureau of Investigation will conduct the investigation, and the Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death, McFadden said.
“Announcing the news of a resident’s passing is always a challenge and remains a consistently difficult task,” McFadden said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to Mr. Benfield’s family. May they find strength and comfort during this difficult time.”
This story was originally published January 20, 2024 at 9:35 AM.