An Alabama inmate died after a plastic bag ruptured in his stomach, according to an autopsy report released Tuesday.
Ernest True Smith, 36, died in the Jefferson County Jail on Friday night, AL.com reported.
True was booked into jail Friday morning on a charge of failure to appear in court, stemming from 2018 charges of unlawful distribution of marijuana and cocaine trafficking, the website reported.
According to officials with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, shortly after 8 p.m. Friday, inmates observed Smith showing signs of a seizure and alerted jail officials. Smith was treated by medical staff and the jail and then was taken to a Birmingham hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:51 p.m, AL.com reported.
According to Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates, an autopsy performed Saturday showed no signs of trauma or foul play, the website reported.
Sheriff's Capt. David Agree said the ruptured bag plastic bag contained an unknown substance that authorities said was believed to be illicit drugs, AL.com reported.
“There is a high probability that the contents of the bag were absorbed into Smith’s system,’’ Agee told the website. “The other preliminary findings were consistent with seizure deaths and drug toxicity.”
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