A Merrillville man died March 26 after being hit with a stun gun while being transferred to another part of the Lake County Jail.
Gregory Smith, 39, was arrested March 26 on a domestic battery warrant out of Crown Point City Court and was transferred about 3:45 pm. to the Lake County Jail, Lake County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Patti Van Til said in a Monday press release. Correction officers acted to move Smith to another section in the jail because he was acting violently, according to Van Til.
Smith continued to act violently, so the officers used a stun gun to calm him down, Van Til said. When Smith didn’t recover from the stun, Van Til said two registered nurses from the jail’s medical unit responded and initiated CPR, as did City of Crown Point medics.
Smith was then transported to Methodist Hospital’s Southlake campus, where he was pronounced dead, Van Til said.
“The incident has been thoroughly investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Lake County Corrections staff, Lake County Jail Medical Unit and the Lake County Coroner’s office, Van Til said, adding that further details will follow once an autopsy and toxicology reports are complete.