Deaths this year also outpace Montgomery County in-custody deaths reported in 2021 and 2022 combined.
Around 8 a.m. Thursday, a corrections officer found the inmate during a routine safety check, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Correctional and medical staff immediately provided care and the Dayton Fire Department was called to respond.
Terry Clemmons, 47, was not able to be revived and was pronounced dead at the jail, according to the sheriff’s office. He was in the general population unit and had been booked into jail on Wednesday on a weapons charge and had a routine medical screening.
“We are still in the very early stages of the investigation, but Clemmons had exited his cell for breakfast earlier in the morning and there are no indications of foul play or drug use,” the sheriff’s office said. “The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office extends our condolences to Terry Clemmons’ family and loved ones.”
Sheriff’s detectives and the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office are conducting the death investigation. The sheriff’s Inspectional Services Unit is reviewing the incident.
The other inmates in the housing unit and staff who responded have been offered counseling.
Montgomery County Jail Coalition member Yvonne Curington said she’s deeply saddened by the news. The jail coalition is a group that consists of residents concerned for inmates at the jail.
Curington, a nurse activist and patient advocate, said she was encouraged by the county’s recent decision to replace four EMTs that work in the jail’s booking portion with registered nurses, but she said more work is still needed.
“The people who are being booked into jail likely don’t have adequate access to healthcare before they’re coming in,” she said. “And if they’re on Medicaid, once they’re booked, their Medicaid stops. Something needs to change.”
Previous jail deaths in 2023
· Steven D. Blackshear, 54, of Dayton, was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on Jan. 26 and awaiting trial for misdemeanor theft. He died Jan. 29. The coroner’s office said the cause was “intoxication by fentanyl. Atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease were contributing conditions.”
· Aaron Dixon, 52, had been held on drug charges since Jan. 9 and died on Jan. 13. The coroner’s office said the cause was “fentanyl and buprenorphine intoxication.”
· Amber Goonan, 41, was arrested on charges of drug possession and booked into the jail on Feb. 19. She died on Feb. 24 of “multiple drug intoxication” including fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, and others, according to the coroner’s office, with bronchopneumonia as a contributing factor.
· Isaiah Trammell, 19, was arrested on charges of domestic violence on March 13, and died March 16. His cause of death is still under investigation, but initial reports do not point to drug use or foul play.
· Amanda K. Campbell, 44, of Vandalia, was arrested on warrants for theft, falsification, receiving stolen property and obstructing official business. She was booked into the jail April 2 and died there at 7:02 a.m. April 4. According to a sheriff’s office spokesperson, Campbell’s death was “naturally caused because of her extensive health issues.” The investigation of her death is also pending.
. Gerald Ford, 47, died on June 10 several hours after being booked into Montgomery County Jail. Ford was housed in a direct-supervision unit and was evaluated by medical staff upon his arrival. He was found having a medical emergency while he was laying in his bed 10 hours later. These units are often used to house inmates who have medical conditions or who are believed to be detoxing from drugs.
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