An inmate who stopped breathing in the emergency room at Johnston Medical Center in Smithfield Monday died as a result of natural causes.
The inmate was at Johnston Correctional Institution on US 70 near Smithfield when he began ill. A Department of Corrections guard was transporting the inmate on a state vehicle to the hospital when his condition worsened. A Smithfield police officer escorted the guard to the hospital.
The inmate suffered cardiac arrest and died in the emergency room. The NC Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death due to “complications of congestive heart failure” and the cause of death as “Natural.”
The inmate had an extensive history of congestive heart failure and respiratory problems.
The name of the inmate has still not been released.
