D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Monday that an inmate of the D.C. Jail has died of the coronavirus, the detention facility’s first fatality in the pandemic.
Deon Crowell, 51, who had been in jail since June 2018, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on April 7 and was hospitalized the same day because he was experiencing respiratory issues, Miss Bowser said during a press conference.
Mr. Crowell was in the jail awaiting a trial on charges of first-degree murder. His attorney had petitioned the court for his release to house arrest, saying his client was at risk of death by the virus because of his diabetes.
Fifty-two other inmates and 15 D.C. Department of Corrections Corrections personnel have tested positive for COVID-19.
Last week, Miss Bowser moved to release about half of the jail’s 36 inmates who are serving sentences for misdemeanors, saying she did not plan to release more based on a review of all the inmates eligible for early release.
• Sophie Kaplan can be reached at skaplan@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.