Man dies after being found unresponsive in his cell at Peoria County Jail

A 31-year-old man died early Tuesday morning after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the Peoria County Jail, hours after he was arrested by Peoria police at a downtown restaurant.

Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins said that at 12:48 a.m., correctional officers found the man by himself in a holding cell, unresponsive. After calling for assistance, the officer and medical staff at the jail began conducting life-saving measures. Several rounds of Narcan and Epinephrine did not provide any effect.

The man was transported to Carle Health Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Watkins said in a news release that the Peoria Police Department arrested the man at 7:15 p.m. Monday night on charges of battery, assault, criminal damage and trespass to property following an incident at a downtown restaurant. The man had been injured while police were arresting him, with those injuries being severe enough to require hospitalization for a short time.

Because he needed a boot on his foot to treat the injuries, the sheriff's department decided to place the man in a holding cell once he arrived at the jail at 10:20 p.m. Watkins said that officers checked on the man numerous times before they found him unresponsive early Tuesday morning.

Illinois State Police was contacted by the sheriff's office to investigate the incident, per department policy. ISP and the Peoria County Coroner's Office are currently leading the inquiries into what happened.

Watkins said the initial investigation showed no signs of foul play.