3 Deputies in Oregon are Indicted on Charges of Criminally Negligent Homicide in the Custodial Death of James Wippel
On April 26, 2017, two days after being arrested and booked into Jefferson County Jail in Madras, Oregon, 59-year-old James Wippel went to the jail nurse. Jail officials called for an ambulance, and Wippel died that same day. Later, an autopsy revealed that he bled to death as a result of a burst ulcer. On April 5, 2018, three Jefferson County deputies were indicted by a grand jury and charged with criminally negligent homicide, in connection with the custodial death. On Monday, April 16, 2018, the cause of death was confirmed by the state medical examiner that performed the autopsy.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying that cardiopulmonary resuscitation was administered by paramedics, who went to the jail. Sadly, the release said, the efforts to save the prisoner’s life were unsuccessful. According to the medical examiner, it is unusual for people to die from burst ulcers because the condition involves symptoms that lead people to seek medical attention in time to prevent death. He said that, specifically, Wippel died because of a perforated duodenal ulcer in his intestine which resulted in him bleeding out. Other than that, no details regarding the circumstances surrounding Wippel’s death have been publically released.
The custodial death was investigated by the Central Oregon Major Incident Team at the request of Jim Adkins, Jefferson County Sheriff. The Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the results and presented them to a grand jury, to avoid conflicts of interest.
Pending the completion of the internal investigation and the legal process, the three county deputies are on paid administrative leave.
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