(PUNTA GORDA) The Major Crimes Unit of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 48 year old inmate that occurred Sunday morning.
Shortly after 10:00 am Sunday MCU detectives and crime scene technicians responded to the Charlotte County Jail in reference to the death of Thomas Robert Andreasen, 48, with no specified address.
According to reports, Andreasen was being housed in a pod designated for inmates with existing medical issues. At about 4:00 am, Andreasen became unruly within his cell and would not calm down. Eventually he complied with instructions to be seated in a specially designed chair where he was restrained to prevent him from injuring himself or anyone else.
Throughout the morning, deputies and medical personnel checked Andreasen every few minutes and he appeared to be in satisfactory condition. However, when they checked him at 10:00 am, they found him to be unresponsive. The medical personnel present began CPR while additional medical personnel and EMS responded to the pod. Andreasen was pronounced dead at the scene.
Major Crimes was called to conduct the investigation as part of standard procedure. The investigation is continuing, pending the results of an autopsy by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Andreasen was arrested on June 5 for Violation of a County Ordinance (Panhandling). His next of kin was notified earlier this morning.