NEWPORT – The Newport Police Department has been called in to investigate the death of a Lincoln County jail inmate found dead in his cell Sunday morning.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Steven P. Riley, 53, of Lincoln City was found unresponsive in his single-occupant cell about 11:45 a.m. Sunday during routine meal service.
Jail commander Lt. Jamie Russell said staff immediately began CPR, administered a defibrillator and called paramedics, who pronounced Riley dead.
Russell said in the news release that jail deputies completed routine welfare checks approximately 26 minutes prior to finding Riley. An autopsy is scheduled to determine cause of death, she said.
Riley was in jail on a Lincoln County Circuit Court warrant for probation violation and failing to appear on a charge of recklessly endangering and driving under the influence of intoxicants.
Russell said Newport police detectives are handling the death investigation.
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