OK County jail has fifth death of 2024

The Oklahoma County jail on Monday had its fifth inmate death of 2024.

Timothy Lee Hardin Jr., 21, of Oklahoma City, was found unresponsive on the floor of his cell during site checks around 6:30 a.m. Monday, the jail said in a news release. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. He did not have a cellmate.

He was last observed by an officer and on video getting breakfast at 4:48 a.m. Monday, the jail said.

Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan said he was told the death is being investigated as a possible drug overdose.

Oklahoma City police arrested Hardin May 15. He had been charged four times in Oklahoma County District Court in the last year with violation of a protective order.

The final time was on May 24. His bond on the felony case was set at $10,000.

The last inmate death was on June 2.

The jail has had more than 40 deaths since a trust took over its operation on July 1, 2020.

There were seven deaths last year, a drop that came after new steps were taken in the wake of intense criticism of the trust.

A yearlong investigation by The Oklahoman found the jail had become one of the deadliest in the United States. The state's multicounty grand jury last year said many of the deaths were preventable .

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OK County jail has fifth death of 2024