THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 11, 1995 TAG: 9505110409
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
A 38-year-old jail inmate died Tuesday night after complaining of chest pains following a basketball game.
The cause of death was not known.
Johnell Berkley Jr., who had been in jail since July, died a few hours after he complained to jail officials about the pains.
He told a jail paramedic that he was accidentally elbowed during a basketball game earlier in the day, but continued to play at least two more games with other inmates, according to a statement released by the jail Wednesday.
The paramedic monitored Berkley's vital signs for 25 to 35 minutes and determined that they were normal. Berkley received some liquids and returned to his cell without incident, officials said.
Later, inmates summoned jail officials to Berkley's cell, where he was having trouble breathing.
Jail paramedics called 911 and Berkley was taken to Chesapeake General Hospital, where he died.
Berkley, who did not have any known medical problems, was serving two years for a violation of probation on a cocaine possession charge.
KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE JAIL INMATE DEATH by CNB