Willamette Week has learned that the death of
James Luoto, a former inmate of the Multnomah County Detention
Center, is being classified as a homicide.
Deputy state medical examiner Nikolas Hartshorne told
WW Wednesday that Luoto's July 22 death resulted
from a spleen injury sustained while the 47-year-old man
was in custody. On June 25, Luoto had an altercation with
a corrections deputy and an inmate trustee at the Multnomah
County Detention Center.
"I'm really shocked, but I'm not really shocked, because
I knew that something happened there," says Luoto's sister,
Kristi Starr. "Too many things didn't make sense."
As reported earlier today by WW, Luoto was arrested
and detained on June 22 on charges of drunk driving. Already
frail from years of drinking and diabetes, Luoto was allegedly
forcibly restrained after rushing past a corrections health
nurse in search of medication for his low blood sugar.
Corrections officials have not commented on Luoto's treatment,
but sources have told WW that after Luoto was taken
to the floor by a trustee, a corrections deputy took over.
Luoto was then transferred to a separation cell in MCDC's
booking center, fed, injected with a sedative and left
in the cell.
It is unclear whether the force used against Luoto was
acceptable under sheriff's department rules. The name
of the deputy and trustee are not known.
Sources have told WW that a short time after being
taken to the cell, Luoto was discovered unconcious and
without a pulse, having choked on his own vomit. Hartshorne
determined that Luoto lost consciousness due to extremely
low blood sugar. Corrections employees resuscitated him,
and he was transferred to Legacy-Emanuel Hospital in North
Portland. At Emanuel, his spleen ruptured. Hartshorne
said enough pressure had been applied to Luoto's left
side while he was restrained to injure his spleen.
After hovering in serious condition in the hospital's
intensive care unit, he died on July 22. Tomorrow would
have been his 48th birthday.
Hartshorne stressed that he's ruling the death a homicide
because "the death was at the hands of another person."
His ruling does not suggest any criminal intent on the
part of jail personnel, he said. Hartshorne added that
Luoto was a "brittle diabetic with liver disease," predisposing
him to internal injuries.
A grand jury will soon be empaneled to hear evidence
in the Luoto case.
Sheriff's department officials were unavailable for comment.
The finding comes as a grand jury is considering criminal
indictments against corrections deputies stemming from
the death of Jon Beckel, a 39-year-old restaurateur, who
died July 6 after being forcibly restrained at MCDC on
July 1.
A separate grand jury is also considering criminal charges
against corrections deputies arising from the alleged
beating of Dennis Lee Poe, 39, at MCDC on July 11.
For details regarding the troubles at the local jail,
see today's cover story, "Strong
Arm of the Law."
