Following the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s months-long inquiry and report released Wednesday into the death of Lyon County inmate Christopher Mejia, Sheriff Jeff Cope says an internal review shows law enforcement correctly followed policies and procedures for handling inmates during that incident last fall.
Cope credited the KBI for conducting what he called a thorough investigation, and he says the results have also been reviewed by the County Attorney’s Office and Kansas Attorney General. He offered his condolences to Mejia’s family during an interview Thursday with KVOE News. He said this was hard on jail staff as well, saying, “nobody wants to go through that.”
The KBI in-custody death report provided to KVOE News says Mejia was originally treated in late October at Newman Regional Health for possible alcohol withdrawal symptoms and later released, although he was then arrested by Emporia Police for allegedly refusing to leave. Mejia then told jail staff he would have a seizure.
Mejia collapsed and hit his head on the toilet and sink receptacle on the way to the floor. He was then unresponsive and later died.
The KBI says Mejia died from significant bruising associated with cirrhosis of the liver. It also says intoxication was the contributing cause of death.
