By GILLIAN FLACCUS
The Associated Press
SANTA ANA, Calif. — An autopsy was under way Thursday on the body of a jail inmate who died a week after an altercation with sheriff’s deputies, the coroner’s office said.
The coroner’s office and the district attorney’s office, which is investigating deputy use of force in the death, both said any results would not be made public because the case is open.
The family of Jason Jesus Gomez, 35, has also said that the family plans to hire a private pathologist.
Gomez died Tuesday night after he was removed from life support at Western Medical Center. He was rushed there March 25 after a struggle at the Orange County jail.
Interim Sheriff Jack Anderson said late Wednesday that he has placed several employees on paid leave during an internal-affairs investigation of the use of force against Gomez. The Sheriff’s Department has also retained an independent investigator to review the actions of jail deputies.
According to a sheriff’s statement issued Wednesday night, jail staff entered Gomez’s cell after he exhibited “erratic behavior” and injured a nurse’s arm. A struggle followed, and staff members used Tasers to subdue him.
Gomez stopped breathing and was given CPR before an ambulance arrived.
Several staff members suffered minor injuries during the struggle, the statement said.
Gomez, a construction worker, was serving up to 90 days for violating probation on a marijuana charge when the incident occurred.