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A San Diego deputy sheriff failed to conduct a mandatory safety check on an inmate who died from a drug overdose last year, an independent investigation has found.
Blake Edward Wilson died Jan. 26, 2020 at the San Diego Central Jail, 10 days after he was booked into custody. According to court records, Wilson struggled with drug addiction and was disbarred from practicing law a little more than a year before his death.
The county’s Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board, a volunteer oversight panel with a professional investigative staff, will consider misconduct allegations against the unidentified deputy at its Tuesday evening meeting.
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When the volunteer board that investigates complaints against the San Diego Sheriff’s Department looked into what killed Paul Silva, the panel found that no jail policies were violated and closed the case.
A key piece of evidence in the case was video footage showing a tactical team’s efforts to remove Silva, who suffered from schizophrenia, from a holding cell. During the violent struggle, Silva stopped breathing, resulting in brain damage due to a lack of oxygen. Members of the review board did not watch the video, the board’s former executive officer told The San Diego Union Tribune, and relied on an investigator’s brief summary of the incident.