Authorities are investigating the death of a Leon County Jail inmate who appears to have died from choking.
Jail Director John Schmidt says a correctional officer discovered Willie White in distress Wednesday, just after he received breakfast.
“He collapsed after he was eating his breakfast and we were fortunate we had Mr. White in the medical unit because of some previous extensive medical history that he had,” said Schmidt. “We brought medical personnel onto the scene within about a minute, and began CPR and life-saving measures, but were unable to render the aid to keep him alive.”
The 65-year-old has been in custody since April 23rd—on an aggravated battery charge as well as battery on a law enforcement officer. Schmidt says in addition to having a lot of physical health issues that required him to be on a ventilator at one point, White also suffered from mental health issues. Schmidt says while the investigation is ongoing, he can confidently say no foul play is suspected.
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