UPDATE: Man who died in custody at Martinez jail identified as attempted murder suspect from Antioch

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

The investigation into the in-custody death at the Martinez Detention Facility is continuing. The investigation is being conducted by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Sheriff per the in custody fatal incident protocol.

On Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at about 11:09 PM, a Deputy Sheriff found an inmate who was unresponsive during a room check at the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF). The Deputy immediately called for jail medical staff to respond. Life-saving measures were performed on the inmate. An ambulance and the fire department responded to MDF. The inmate was transported to Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. He was later pronounced deceased.

The 65-year-old male inmate is identified as Leartis Johnson of Antioch. He was originally booked into the MDF on May 16, 2018 by the BART police. His original charges included attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and robbery.

His death appears to be health related.


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