Authorities are investigating the death of an inmate at the Martinez Detention Facility on Tuesday.
On Monday just after 5 p.m., inmate Ezekiel McCoy, 30, of El Sobrante, sustained injuries in a fight with other inmates at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.
McCoy was transported to the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez for treatment at 6:30 p.m. About six hours later, he was brought to the Martinez Detention Facility after being cleared by medical staff.
“McCoy was placed in a negative air flow room at MDF pending the result of a COVID-19 test,” the sheriff’s office said. “He was checked on throughout the day and last checked at 4:23 p.m. About nine minutes later, deputies found McCoy unresponsive.”
Deputies and jail medical staff attempted life-saving measures and fire department personnel also responded to the scene immediately, as they were already at the jail on an unrelated incident, but McCoy was pronounced deceased at the scene, the sheriff’s office said. His death remains under investigation.
McCoy had originally been arrested and booked by Pinole police on July 28, on numerous charges that included attempted murder, child endangerment, burglary, having a concealed weapon in his car, domestic violence, making criminal threats, and probation violation. He was being held in lieu of $1,480,000 bail.
Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or through Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (925) 646-2441. For any tips, email: [email protected] or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.
