A 43-Year-Old Man Dies Before Being Booked into a South Dakota Jail
In South Dakota news on September 20, 2025, a man who was brought to the Pennington County Jail on Friday night died before being booked.
A 43-year-old man from Wolsey, South Dakota, was recognized by an officer with the Rapid City Police Department as someone who had active warrants for his arrest. The police stopped to arrest him at approximately 11 p.m. Friday on Mount Rushmore Road, and a press release states that the man attempted to evade the officers.
He was caught following a brief chase, and the man was allegedly combative. Due to this behavior, the man was placed in the WRAP safety restraint system, and a spit mask and a padded helmet were also placed on him. During the arrest, police allegedly found syringes and suspected illegal narcotics.
When the police officers took the man to the Pennington County Jail in Rapid City, they noticed that he had become unresponsive. Attempts were made to revive the man, and he was then transported to a local hospital. He died at the hospital that same night, on September 19, 2025.
The death is being reviewed by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation to determine how the man died.
The address of the Pennington County Jail is 307 St. Joseph Street, Rapid City, South Dakota 57701.
An Investigation Discovers the Danger of Jail Inmates in Restraint Chairs
A two-year investigation by a Missouri news source found that at least 102 inmates in 29 states have reported injuries or died after being placed in a restraint chair, which is a full-body restraint. Among the deficiencies discovered during the investigation were the following:
- Of the cases analyzed, 81% cited a lack of staff training on full-body restraints.
- Jail staff often skipped the required medical checks, and the restraint system manufacturer’s warnings were ignored.
- Due to breathing difficulties after restraint chair use, autopsy results blamed custodial deaths on likely improper restraint chair use.
- Jailers used stun guns or Tasers against 16 restrained detainees.
The same report mentions the death of Elijah “Lester” Isbill in the Monroe County Justice Center in Tennessee. According to the amended autopsy report that was filed last week, the 74-year-old man’s death was caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and hypertension complicated by restraint and dehydration. Mr. Isbill’s death occurred on February 7, 2025, after he spent nine hours in a restraint chair.
The address of the Monroe County Justice Center is 4500 New Hwy 68, Madisonville, Tennessee 37354. The jail has a maximum inmate capacity of 344.
Samuel Hayes Jr. was Discovered Deceased in a Restraint Chair
Thirty-one-year-old Samuel L. Hayes Jr. was in the St. Louis City Justice Center when he was placed in a restraint chair at about 8:20 p.m. on July 19, 2025. The device immobilizes detainees by securing their arms and legs. At approximately 10 p.m., Mr. Hayes was found unresponsive in the restraint chair. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased later that night.
St. Louis City Justice Center is at 200 South Tucker Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63102. The jail has a rated inmate capacity of 732.
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