Another Man Dies In Sacramento Jail

By Robert J. Hansen | OBSERVER Staff Writer Almost a week after Asaiah Washington was found dead in his jail cell July 26, family and advocates gathered in front of the Sacramento Main Jail to call for transparency and accountability from the Sacramento Sheriff’s office. “We want answers when it comes to incidents where people come to die,” Berry Accius, community advocate and founder of Voice of the Youth, said at the press conference. “We have serious concerns about this place [the jail], which has become a burial ground for Black men and women.” Accius said Washington’s family and the community demand transparency and accountability from the sheriff and the county to “tell the truth of what happened.” Spokesperson Amar Gandhi said the sheriff’s office will complete a “thorough investigation in accordance with department procedures” and state laws and “will determine the cause of death and forward its findings as prescribed by law.” Washington, 40, and a cellmate were found unresponsive when Narcan was administered. The cellmate was revived. The cause of Washington’s death could take months for the coroner to determine. Thirty people have died in Sacramento sheriff’s custody since 2021. Five men have died in Sacramento jails since...