Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 06/04/2009

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Terry Menshek - (707) 565-3098 Media Spokesperson, Chief Deputy District Attorney Spencer R. Brady

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

SONOMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND CALIFORNIA
FORENSIC MEDICAL GROUP CLEARED IN INMATE DEATH

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced that his office has completed its review of the investigation into the inmate death of Gregory Townsley.  After reviewing all of the evidence, including the autopsy report and interviews with those involved, and based upon the totality of all other circumstances, the District Attorney concluded that there is no criminal liability involving the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department or the California Forensic Medical Group.

District Attorney Passalacqua stated, “This inmate died within minutes from sudden cardiac death due to years of hypertensive heart disease and other contributing factors such as chronic alcoholism and narcotism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Hepatitis C.  These are considered natural causes of death.  While this death is a sad reality for all involved, it did not involve criminal conduct on the part of any individual.”

Gregory William Townsley was 46 years old on Sunday, September 23, 2007, when he was contacted at 9:17 a.m. by a Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputy.  He was taken into custody on a “no bail” misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear on a charge of Health and Safety Code section 11550(a) (being under the influence of a controlled substance).  As  Townsley got into the patrol car he advised the deputy to be careful as he believed he had a couple of broken ribs on the left side.  He told the deputy that the injury occurred when he slipped and fell inside the bathroom of a Burger King restaurant.  This was later documented in Townsley's “Pre-Booking Medical/Mental Health Screening” on September 23, 2007.

The Deputy did not see any visible injuries to Townsley.  She recalled Townsley mentioning the pain to his ribs and also saw scarring from abscesses on his left shoulder.  The deputy said there were no major objective signs that Townsley was under the influence of alcohol during the time she was with him.  She transported Townsley to the Main Adult Detention Facility (AMADF@) arriving at 9:35 a.m. and completed his booking paperwork.  During this process, she asked Townsley if he drank alcohol daily and he answered “yes.”  She also asked him if he thought he would go through withdrawals and he responded “yes.”  Townsley did not mention anything about having withdrawals from drugs.

Townsley's vital signs were to be taken each day.  This was the  proper protocol for persons who were deemed to be on low level withdrawals from alcohol and  controlled substances.  Townsley remained in booking until 7:40 p.m.

The following morning at about 6:25 a.m., September 24, 2007, a correctional deputy was calling inmates to breakfast.  She saw that Gregory Townsley had not come out for breakfast and she entered his jail cell and found him unresponsive.  She called for a medic.  Staff arrived and performed CPR until the Santa Rosa Fire Department and paramedics arrived.  They pronounced Mr. Townsley dead at approximately 6:52 a.m.

An autopsy was conducted the following day.  The forensic pathologist concluded Townsley died within minutes from sudden cardiac death due to years of hypertensive heart disease with contributing factors being chronic alcoholism and narcotism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Hepatitis C.  All of the causes were considered natural.

Townsley had been in contact with local law enforcement on many occasions which resulted in stays at the MADF a total of 14 times, with his two longest stays occurring November 26, 2003, to March 22, 2004, when he was released to the Rehabilitation Center SACPA.  The second longest stay took place from February 10, 2006, until May 5, 2006, when he was released for time served.

The purpose of the District Attorney's investigation and review of any critical incident is to establish the presence or absence of criminal liability on the part of any involved party, including law enforcement employee(s).  The specific question to be resolved in this case is whether Gregory William Townsley's death was unlawful because a person acted with criminal negligence.

Based on a review of the interviews with various staff members and inmates housed near Townsley, the jail policies and procedures manual, and the jail intake forms and logs, it does not appear that the deputies involved acted with carelessness, inattention or mistake in judgment.  In review, all policies and procedures were followed and the medical staff acted without carelessness, inattention or mistake in judgment.  The evidence in this case does not establish criminal negligence on the part of staff at the Main Adult Detention Facility (MADF) or the other agencies involved during the short time the decedent was in their custody.