Murdered in Police Custody

Are we still living in America?

The Maryland Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death of a teenager, who was in custody on murder charges in the death of a police officer, was a homicide.

Ronnie Lionel White, 19, of Laurel, died Sunday morning in his jail cell. He had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 39-year-old Prince George's County police Cpl. Richard Findley. Police said White was the driver of a pickup truck that struck Findley on Friday.

Law enforcement sources said White died of either strangulation or asphyxiation. He had suffered two broken neck bones.

"The surrounding circumstances that we take a full and complete look and pull all the evidence together, and we'll make a decision at the end of that process," said Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey.

Prince George's County jail spokeswoman Vicki Duncan said White was found unconscious in his cell about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. She said White was alone in his cell and there were no signs of trauma.

White was admitted to the jail at 12:24 a.m. Saturday and given a medical assessment before being placed in a cell.

Jail officials said he had been classified as a "high-profile offender" and was being housed alone in a maximum security cell. Guards checked on him every 30 minutes.

Guards had checked on White about 10:15 a.m. Sunday. At the time, he was sitting on the edge of his bunk and appeared alert, according to a press release.

When they returned at 10:30 a.m. with his lunch, corrections officers found White "sitting on the floor" of his jail cell, unresponsive, the release said.

I have no sympathy for cop killers. I do believe in the rule of law. And the rule of law lost.

--WS

So What Do You Think Happened?

Just curious what people think of this story:

A 19-year-old man charged in the slaying of a Prince George's County police officer has died in custody, police said today.

Ronnie L. White was pronounced dead at Prince George's Hospital after being found unresponsive in his jail cell, according to an internal Prince George's police email and police sources. He was not breathing, and there were no signs of trauma to his body. The cause of death is under investigation.

White had been charged Saturday with first-degree murder in the death on Friday of Cpl. Richard S. Findley. Two men in a pickup believed to be stolen hit Findley in a parking lot near the 14700 block of Laurel-Bowie Road in Laurel.

Findley and other officers from an elite squad had been attempting to box in the suspects when White, who police say was the driver, rammed Findley's cruiser, according to the charges. Findley got out of his cruiser and White hit him, dragging him on the front of the truck, police said. Findley, 39, suffered massive head trauma, and he died a short time later at Laurel Regional Hospital.

White was being held in a single cell at the Prince Georges's Department of Corrections, police said. The internal police email said the county fire department received a call from that facility at 10:38 a.m. requesting assistance for a 20-year-old male who was not breathing. Sources said the email got White's age wrong.

You can leave your guesses in the comment thread. Mine? I'm not telling...

--WS