Nearly two weeks after 68-year-old David Given was arrested for trespassing, he was found unresponsive in his cell Monday morning.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Nearly two weeks after a man was arrested for trespassing, he was found dead in his cell at Duval County Jail, marking the 12th death at the jail just this year.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says on Monday detectives with the Cold Case Unit responded to the pre-trial detention facility in reference to a dead inmate.
Police say 68-year-old David Given was last seen alone and in his cell Monday at 10:00 a.m.
Just before noon, Given was found laying partially under his bunk unresponsive, JSO says. Officers and medical staff performed life-saving efforts on Given, but all were unsuccessful. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department pronounced him dead upon arrival.
JSO’s Cold Case and Crime Scene Unit processed the scene and are investigating Given’s death. The Medical Examiner’s Office will also complete a separate investigation, including an autopsy, to help determine his cause of death.
The Tributary reports Given was arrested on a misdemeanor charge for allegedly trespassing at a nearby hospital where he had complained about hip pain, but was refused medical assistance.
Given’s death marks the 12th inmate death at Duval County Jail in 2023, and the first death since the jail’s new medical provider, NaphCare, took over for Armor Correctional Health Services on Sept. 1., according to the Tributary.
Just last month, Florida House Rep. Angie Nixon and Florida Sen. Tracie Davis, who both represent Jacksonville, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, requesting an “immediate investigation into the skyrocketing death rate in Duval County jails.”
Police say the initial investigation shows no signs of foul play.
