Inmate at Big Island jail dies of suspected overdose

A 56-year-old inmate at Hawai‘i Community Correctional Center in Hilo is dead after a suspected overdose in his jail cell, according to Hawai‘i Island police.

Capt. Rio Amon-Wilkins said Hawaiʻi island officers responded to the jail at around 1 p.m. on Thursday following a report of two unresponsive men in the same cell. Both were taken to Hilo Medical Center for treatment.

One of the inmates, a man from Pāhoa, died shortly after arriving at the hospital, Amon-Wilkins said. The other inmate, a 33-year-old man houseless in Hilo, was treated and released back to the custody of the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Amon-Wilkins said a third inmate, who also was housed in the same cell, is being actively investigated in an unrelated drug case. He was taken to court for a hearing on the same day the suspected overdoses occurred.

Amon-Wilkins said that this inmate and the surviving inmate are now being investigated for their involvement in Thursday’s incident at the 226-bed correctional center.

This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.