VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A Virginia Beach Correction Center inmate died Sunday, according to the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office says that deputies in Master Control saw an unusual amount of inmate activity in the detoxification block.
A corporal responded to the block around 12:15 a.m. and saw one of the inmates, 57-year-old Francis Phillip Charrette, unresponsive on his bunk.
A jail nurse responded and started CPR. A licensed practical nurse, emergency medical technician, registered nurse and medical assistant also went to the floor to help.
An ambulance and fire truck came to take over the rescue efforts at 12:25 a.m.
Charrette was taken to Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Charrette was booked into the Correctional Center on September 21 on a traffic offense and a felony charge of possession of a schedule I or II drug.
Jail staff placed Charrette in the jail’s detoxification housing for observation due to the nature of his charges, his medical screening and prior history. He was on day four of the jail’s nine-day detox protocol.
The death remains under investigation by the Professional Standards Office and the Virginia Beach Police Department.
According to sheriff’s office, the department’s investigators have confirmed there is no suspicion of foul play at this time.
The sheriff’s office says there was no indication that Charrette had been in distress before his death, including interactions with jail staff Saturday during the 11 p.m. inmate headcount and medication delivery.
The block was last checked at 11:50 p.m.
Charrette’s cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner.
