Man charged with murder in death of fellow inmate at Wayne County Jail
(CBS DETROIT) - A man is facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of a fellow inmate last month at the Wayne County Jail.
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office began its investigation after two inmates got into an altercation on July 13 at the Division 1 Jail. Authorities say one of the inmates, identified as Thomas Carr, sustained serious injuries to his head, according to a press release.
Carr died from his injuries on July 20.
The sheriff's office says the other inmate, Claude Lewis, was initially charged with assault with intent to murder, which has since upgraded to murder.
"I continue to extend my heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Carr. There are layered concerns with this incident, and I have the utmost confidence both the Detroit Police Homicide Task Force along with the WCSO Internal Affairs Unit will uncover where policies and procedures were and were not executed," Sheriff Raphael Washington said in a statement.
"In the meantime, I'd like to update the general community on what we can share. For inmates processed through the Wayne County Jail, their intake is handled by a privately run vendor contracted by the County. Inmates meet with a nurse who conducts an interview, physical and mental screening assessment.
"While they do not gather history of 911 calls, they consult with custody staff concerning any necessity for special housing of mentally ill/impaired inmates using the LEIN (Law Enforcement Information Network) computerized filing system for documented criminal justice information as a resource. This process supports how inmates in our jails are classified and where they are placed."
Washington says the investigation is still ongoing.
