An inmate who died while in custody at the Garland County Detention Center on Dec. 20 was identified Thursday by the Garland County Sheriff's Department as Jeremy Scott Howell, 28, of Hot Springs.
Howell was found unresponsive in the detention center's holding area, according to the sheriff's department.
"Mr. Howell's family has been notified of this tragic incident, and an internal affairs investigation has been ordered by the sheriff," Sgt. John Schroeder, training and media relations coordinator for the sheriff's department, said Thursday.
"Mr. Howell's body has been submitted to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory and is pending official results as to the cause of death," he said.
According to a news release from the sheriff's department on Sunday, Howell was brought to the detention center by "another agency" and booked into the detention center on a criminal trespass charge at around 2 p.m. Dec. 20.
According to court records, Howell was arrested on the misdemeanor charge by Hot Springs police around 1:40 p.m.
Just over three hours after his arrival, at around 5:17 p.m., the inmate "was found unresponsive in a holding cell in the booking area" of the detention canter, the release stated.
"Lifesaving measures were immediately taken by on-site medical staff and LifeNet was called to the scene and continued the lifesaving efforts to no avail," it said.
Local on 12/27/2019