Death in Tasmanian prison after reports man 'unresponsive' in cell
Police are investigating the death of a man who was found unresponsive in his cell by prison staff on Sunday morning.
A 23-year-old man died while in custody at the Hobart Reception Centre in Tasmania. Police found him unresponsive in his cell just before 11am on Sunday. Efforts to revive the man were unsuccessful. Tasmania Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death, while a separate professional standards investigation is also underway.
The deceased man was from New Norfolk and had been arrested the previous day in Claremont on a wounding incident. He was transferred to the Hobart Reception Centre around 5:30pm. Ambulance crews, police, and prison staff attempted to resuscitate him, but their efforts were in vain. Forensic specialists, detectives from Tasmania Police's professional standards unit, and the coroner have been involved in the investigation.
The professional standards investigation includes examining CCTV footage, records, and interviewing witnesses. On Friday, police responded to an assault at a residence in Claremont, where two occupants were reportedly assaulted, with one man shot in the hip. The other victim, a woman, was struck with an axe but only sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
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