65-year-old Mecklenburg County inmate dies, sheriff’s office reports

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A 65-year-old Mecklenburg County inmate died on Tuesday, the sheriff’s office reported.

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office reported on Tuesday, Nov. 10 that inmate Christopher Green had died the same day. Green was an inmate at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center Central, which is located in Uptown Charlotte.

Green’s cause of death was not immediately known. The medical examiner’s office was working to determine the cause of death, officials said.

According to the sheriff’s office, Green was arrested on Aug. 9 and was being held without bond at the detention center. Court records show that Green was accused of possessing a stolen firearm, discharging a firearm into an occupied property, carrying a concealed weapon, and more.

The sheriff’s office said Green was taken to a nearby hospital on Oct. 29 “following a requested medical screening.” It wasn’t immediately clear who requested the screening or for what purpose.

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Additional details about Green’s health “may not be disclosed as it is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA),” the sheriff’s office said.

It was believed that Green died while at the hospital, and not at the detention center -- though the sheriff’s office did not explicitly say so.

“On behalf of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, I extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Green’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Sheriff Garry McFadden said. “We recognize the profound loss they are experiencing, and I am grateful they were able to be by his side in his final moments.”

WBTV has been investigating jail deaths reported in the Mecklenburg County system in recent years.

WBTV investigative reporter Naomi Kowles reports that there have been numerous federal lawsuits that allege “deliberate indifference” in medical care, or failures to properly monitor inmates, at the Mecklenburg County jail. Some of those lawsuits have since been settled.

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Earlier this year, Sheriff McFadden attributed overcrowding, a health care crisis, and illegal drug contraband as the root causes of the string of in-custody deaths.

There have been more than 20 deaths at the jail since McFadden was sworn into office. He was reelected to his role as sheriff in the spring.

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