3rd Cook County Jail Inmate Being Treated For Coronavirus Dies

CHICAGO, IL — Another detainee from Cook County Jail died after testing positive for coronavirus. Nicholas Lee, 42, died Sunday morning at John H. Stroger Memorial Hospital. His official cause of death is pending an autopsy, but preliminary reports indicate Lee died of a heart attack.

Lee had been hospitalized since April 6 after testing positive for COVID-19. His official cause of death is pending autopsy, but preliminary reports indicate he died of cardiac arrest, Cook County Sheriff’s officials said.

He was booked into Cook County Jail on Oct. 31, 2016. Lee was being held without bond on Class X felony charges of armed habitual criminal and armed robbery, both punishable by 6 to 30 years in prison, in addition to aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated battery to a peace officer, felony possession or use of a firearm, and resisting a peace officer.

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Lee’s extensive history of felony convictions dates back 20 years for drug and gun offenses. According to the arrest report for his pending case, Lee was accused of robbing a man at gunpoint of $500 cash, an iPhone and jewelry. Lee allegedly fought officers when they tried to arrest him, injuring an officer during his attempts to escape. Police recovered a loaded 9mm handgun from his person.

Lee is the third detainee to die in Cook County Department of Corrections custody after testing positive for COVID-19. The jail remains one of the country’s coronavirus hot spots.

As of April 12, there were 254 detainees with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 symptoms being treated and monitored by Cermak Health Services, a division of Cook County Health and Hospitals System, and 20 who were being treated at local hospitals. Thirty-two detainees have been moved to a recovery unit.

Sheriff’s officers and county medical professionals continue to combat the spread of coronavirus behind the jail walls.

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