The Attorney General’s Office is investigating the death of an inmate at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark on Friday, Dec. 3.
The identity of the male inmate is not being released at this time.
The jail inmate was pronounced dead Friday at University Hospital in Newark, according to Thomas Fennelly, an assistant prosecutor.
On Friday morning, the inmate was taken to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced deceased at 9:03 a.m.
The investigation is being conducted pursuant to the statutory requirement that the Attorney General’s Office conduct the investigation of any death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody, and which establishes clear standards and procedures for conducting such investigations.
The investigation will be bifurcated, with the AG’s Office investigating the conduct of correctional officers and other jail staff, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office investigating the conduct of any other parties that may be responsible.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.
The death follows a September incident in which a group of inmates nearly beat another prisoner to death in the jail.
That attack was captured on video, in footage that shows several inmates pummeling the victim, Jayshawn Boyd, 22, mercilessly, kicking, punching and stomping on him before dropping a microwave oven on his head.
Boyd has remained in a coma at University Hospital since the assault and seven inmates have been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit murder and other offenses related to the attack.