Man dies at Iron County Jail shortly after his arrest

Stock image | Photo by Chalabala/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

CEDAR CITY — A 49-year-old Cedar City man died Saturday night at Iron County Jail shortly after he was arrested on drug-related charges.

Justin Anderson booking photo at Iron County Jail, Cedar City, Utah, July 4, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Iron County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News / Cedar City News

According to a news release issued Sunday by the Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Justin Anderson began “experiencing a medical episode” as he was being booked into the jail shortly before 6 p.m.

“Iron County Jail staff and Gold Cross Ambulance personnel begun providing Mr. Anderson with medical aid,” the statement added. “Despite all efforts made by on-scene by medical personnel to save Mr. Anderson’s life, he did not survive and was pronounced deceased at the jail.”

The incident occurred shortly after Anderson had been taken into custody by Cedar City Police after having been stopped for a traffic violation. Jail booking records indicate Anderson was suspected of possessing drugs and paraphernalia, in addition to driving without insurance.

Anderson’s body was subsequently transported to the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, the statement from the sheriff’s office said, adding that members of the Critical Incident Task Force will assist Iron County Sheriff’s Office detectives in conducting an in-custody death investigation.

More information will be released as it becomes available, the sheriff’s office said.

“The Iron County Sheriff’s Office wants to express their condolences to the Anderson family,” the statement added.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!