Whatcom County Jail inmate dies in custody; second inmate hospitalized
A Whatcom County Jail inmate was found dead around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday from an suspected overdose, and second inmate has been hospitalized, according to Deb Slater, a spokesperson with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
Corrections deputies and members of the jail medical team attempted to use Narcan and CPR to revive the person but were not successful, the sheriff’s office said in a Wednesday afternoon press release. It is unclear how the inmates, who shared a cell, obtained the drugs used in the suspected overdoses.
Megan Peters with the Bellingham Police Department told The Herald the deceased person was 28-year-old Andre Haas. He was announced deceased at the jail. The identity of the other man, also 28, had not been released as of Friday.
“No one should die while in our custody,” Sheriff Donnell Tanksley said in the release. “Our staff and our jail processes are geared to protect incarcerated individuals. For the sake of all involved, we are working through the protocols in place and commit to support the investigation — and, more immediately, to ensure no illicit drugs remain in our facilities.”
The exact circumstances of the death are under investigation by the Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Response Team, Slater said. LEMART is a multi-jurisdictional investigation team.
The other incarcerated person was taken to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, according to the release.
This story was originally published March 13, 2024 at 3:50 PM.
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