Inmate dies in Douglas County jail

A 37-year-old Superior man died in the Douglas County Jail last week, apparently of complications from a stomach ulcer.

Douglas County Sheriff Tom Dalbec announced Tuesday that Clifford G. Walker died soon after lying down in pain, despite jail officers’ efforts to revive him.

Dalbec told the News Tribune that Walker had not informed the jail staff of any pre-existing medical problem and didn’t mention he was in pain until other inmates noticed he was on the ground.

“He told people he didn’t feel well and was going to lay down, and that was it,” Dalbec said.

Dalbec said officers rushed to Walker’s aid and rendered CPR until paramedics arrived. But efforts to revive Walker failed and he was pronounced dead at the jail.

An autopsy was performed Saturday in Anoka County, Minn. According to Dalbec in a news release, “preliminary results indicated massive internal bleeding due to a perforated ulcer that ruptured an artery in the stomach lining.”

Dalbec said the man was in the county jail awaiting trial on two counts of possession of heroin, unable to post $2,000 bail. He said Walker apparently originally was from the Twin Cities.

When asked why he waited four days to report the incident to the media and public, Dalbec said it didn’t occur to him the death in the jail would be newsworthy, noting his office was treating it “like any other death investigation,” such as someone dying at home.

The incident remains under investigation by the sheriff’s department and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

Tags: crime and courts, news, superior, updates