DAYTON — An inmate died less than 36 hours after being booked into the Montgomery County Jail.
Terry Clemmons’ death is the seventh inmate death this year either at the jail or right after an inmate was rushed to a hospital.
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Each time it is a terrifying tragedy for family members who had no warning.
“I’m very, very, very upset and I’m very angry and I’m very mad,” said Anthony Clemmons, Terry’s brother.
Clemmons said his brother Terry was just 47-years-old.
“I’ve got to fight, fight for Terry Clemmons, find out what happened to him because he didn’t just go to the county jail, lay in bed and have a heart attack,” Clemmons said.
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The sheriff’s jail staff believes some of that is what happened.
They declined News Center 7′s request for comment but said “A corrections officer doing a routine safety check discovered an inmate who appeared to be suffering a medical emergency. Clemmons was not able to be revived and was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
“My momma needs answers, my sisters need answers, his kids need answers, I’m going to be the soldier on the front line,” Clemmons said.
Clemmons said he would have hoped his brother would be safe after police put the handcuffs on him.
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He was arrested Tuesday night on weapons charges and died Thursday at 8 in the morning.
There have been a half-dozen jail deaths in Montgomery county so far in 2023.
Clemmons said he has current jail inmates reaching out to him telling him his brother told a corrections officer he was feeling sick.
Clemmons claims his brother also pressed a button requesting medical. He fears someone passed his brother fentanyl.
The sheriff’s office could not confirm that but News Center 7 asked Clemmons what he would say to the sheriff.
“Stop playing dumb, you know as well as I do, there are drugs in your county jail, killing the inmates, do something about it,” he said.
Terry Clemons was scheduled for an autopsy the day he died, last Thursday.
Because of expected toxicology tests, the final results that might show why he died may not be available for eight weeks or more.
News Center 7 will continue providing updates.
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