JEFFERSON COUNTY, MO (Show Me Live) – The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of an inmate at the Jefferson County Jail. Sheriff Dave Marshak says 26-year-old Aaron Sarles of Imperial passed away while waiting for transport to another county yesterday (Mon, Feb 3rd) around 9 am.
Sarles was brought to the Jefferson County Jail following a traffic stop in the early morning hours of February 1st that revealed an active felony warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance.
As customary to detainees entertaining the facility, Sarles was put through a body scanner, which revealed no abnormalities or foreign objects in his body. A few hours into his time at the jail, Sarles became ill and was taken to a hospital where he was declared medically fit for confinement, and was returned to the jail.
Sarles continued to show signs of illness and was moved to a different housing location, where he was monitored by jail medical staff.
While preparing Sarles for transport, he experienced an apparent medical emergency and lost consciousness. Jail medical staff immediately attempted life-saving measures until EMS arrived and continued the efforts. Ultimately, those efforts were unsuccessful, and Sarles was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The cause of death is under investigation by the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.
Meanwhile, Sheriff’s Office investigators are conducting interviews and reviewing video footage and documentation related to Sarles’ time in the jail.
Further information may be available as the investigation progresses.