'Very Troubled' Pol Seeks Answers After Prison Death

SUFFIELD, CT — State officials are investigating the death of an incarcerated man at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield.

According to the Connecticut Department of Correction, prison staff and medical personnel were alerted to a medical emergency at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday.

When they entered the cell, they found the man on the floor and unresponsive. Officials said he was lying near a pool of vomit. His cellmate had alerted staff after discovering him.

Staff began lifesaving efforts, and paramedics from a local ambulance service also responded and continued trying to revive him.

Those efforts were unsuccessful, and the man was pronounced dead at 1:18 a.m.

State Sen. John A. Kissel, R-Suffield, said he was troubled to learn about the death and has contacted Connecticut Department of Correction Commissioner Angel Quiros seeking more information about what happened.

According to Kissel, the Department of Correction’s Security Division and the Connecticut State Police are investigating the incident. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the exact cause of death.

Kissel said his thoughts are with the man’s family, as well as the correctional officers and staff who responded to the emergency.