BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A 58-year-old man has died after suffering a medical event while being held at the Erie County Holding Center in Downtown Buffalo on Tuesday evening.
The Erie County Sheriff's Office reports that staff observed James Ellis "alert in his unit" during a supervisory tour of Ellis' housing area at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
The sheriff's office reports that 11 minutes later, a medical staff member from the Division of Correctional Health came through Ellis' housing unit as part of a scheduled medical visit and found him unresponsive.
Staff performed CPR and other treatment on Ellis while awaiting an ambulance. The sheriff's office reports AMR staff arrived at 8:37 p.m. and took Ellis to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.
The cause and nature of the medical event Ellis suffered have not been released. The sheriff's office is conducting an investigation into his death, which will include a report from the Erie County Medical Examiner's office.
The sheriff's office says Ellis was being held at the holding center for "local charges and parole violations."
