An inmate at the Cobb County Jail has become the fifth person to die while in custody within a 12-month period.
Christopher Lawrence Hart of Marietta experienced a “medical emergency believed to be related to preexisting conditions” Saturday afternoon while at the jail, said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Glenn Daniel.
Daniel said first aid was provided by jail medical staff, and Hart was transported to WellStar Kennestone Hospital. The Sheriff’s Office reached out to Hart’s family, who was with him when he died Sunday morning, Daniel added.
Hart, 45, was booked into the jail Thursday after he was charged by Cobb police with probation violation, a charge that does not come with an opportunity to be released on bond.
“Ordinarily the Sheriff’s Office seeks to release low-risk inmates suffering from serious preexisting health conditions, but were unable to in this case due to Hart’s no-bond status,” the agency said in a statement.
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The sheriff’s office said more details will be released once the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office determines a cause of death.
Hart's death is the latest in a series of fatal events that have plagued the Cobb Sheriff's Office, which operates the jail. Kevin Wingo, 36, died Sept. 29 after experiencing a "medical emergency" in his cell, the sheriff's office said.
Bradley Emory, 33, was found unresponsive in the shower with a sheet around his neck March 10, according to a report from the Cobb County Medical Examiner's Office. The county medical examiner ruled Emory's death a suicide.
Reginald Wilson, who suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, died of dehydration in December 2018 after nine days in the jail. Jessie Myles, 31, was found dead three days later after he was arrested Feb. 23 by Marietta police for drug possession.
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