Inmate dies at Cook County Jail after fire in his cell
An inmate at Cook County Jail died last week after a fire inside his cell, sheriff's officials said.
Around 7:15 p.m. Thursday, correctional officers in the residential treatment unit of the jail responded to a fire inside a cell, a spokesperson for the Cook County Sheriff's office said.
Officers removed the two inmates from the cell and put out the fire. While both men were able to walk out of the cell under their own power, one of the inmates, Martinez Duncan, became unresponsive, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, but sheriff's officials said a preliminary review indicated one of the cellmates obtained a lit wick, or "a smoldering portion of tightly wound toilet paper commonly used to smoke illegal drugs," which was used to start the fire.
An autopsy to determine Duncan's cause of death is awaiting the results of toxicology tests.
Duncan had been in custody since Nov. 13 on aggravated battery charges accusing him of stabbing a family member and a responding Chicago police officer.
The Sheriff's office was conducting an investigation into potential criminal behavior by other inmates in connection with the incident. Sheriff's officials said the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force is investigating any potential criminal behavior by jail staff.