Inmate Joshua Tucker Died In Custody At Los Angeles County Sheriff – North County Correctional Facility

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (November 16, 2023) – A 36-year-old inmate identified as Joshua Tucker has tragically died following a medical emergency at a Los Angeles County jail.

Los Angeles County officials are saying that the death took place on Tuesday. Joshua Tucker was experiencing some type of medical emergency.

Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help him. Despite efforts to revive him, he was later pronounce dead.

A coroner report indicated that Joshua Tucker died due to accidental fentanyl toxicity.

 

Liability For Los Angeles County Inmate Deaths

Drug intoxication remains one of the leading causes of inmate death. Opioids such as Fentanyl have been especially problematic. According to the Vera Institute of Justice, “In 2018, opioids were involved in nearly 70 percent of all overdose deaths, most of which involved synthetic opioids. Preliminary data for 2019 and 2020 suggest that drug overdose deaths have continued to rise, with synthetic opioids as well as methamphetamine and cocaine being major contributors.” There are a number of steps that jails should take in order to protect inmates from fentanyl.

• Fentanyl should only ever be administered in a jail by trained medical staff.
• Jails should do everything in their power to prevent fentanyl and other opioids from coming in through illicit channels.
• Jails should be equipped with Nalaxone which can be used to reverse the effects of an overdose.

All jails have a legal obligation to protect inmates from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. Inmates must also get healthcare for all of their health needs. When a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. A jail may have been indifferent to the needs of an inmate before, during or after a medical emergency. There are many ways that a jail could have contributed to an in-custody death.

• Jail officials may have failed to get an inmate Nalaxone if they were going through an overdose.
• Jail officials may have given an inmate medication which conflicted with fentanyl in their system.
• Jail officials may have failed to get an inmate to the hospital quickly enough when they needed care.

A large portion of inmate deaths are preventable and involve some amount of medical neglect. Deaths are much more likely to occur at jails that are overcrowded. When a jail is overcrowded, it can push a jail’s resources to the breaking point. The family of any person that died in-custody may have legal recourse through a civil claim. A civil rights attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.

 

Investigating Los Angeles County Inmate Deaths

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Joshua Tucker. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what happened for the sake of the victim’s family. It is our sincere hope that efforts are taken to prevent other tragedies like this.

Do you need more information about a Los Angeles County inmate death? Our team of civil rights advocates are here to help in any way that we can. We are committed to protecting the constitutional rights of inmates and holding jails accountable for their negligence. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free independent investigation into any in-custody death we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (949) 825-5200.