Mayes County inmate death ruled accidental

Sommer Woodward

The death of an inmate who was in the custody of the Mayes County Jail was due to a lethal combination of drugs, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Barron Harvey Davis, 44, Locust Grove, died

Feb. 27 from acute drug toxicity from the combination of a painkiller, morphine; an anti-anxiety drug, alprazolam and a muscle relaxer, cyclobenzaprine. The manner of death was declared an accident.

Davis was brought to the jail after he shot at Locust Grove Officer Johnny Ragsdale with an SK rifle. After a short standoff, Davis gave himself up and was taken into custody.

When Davis arrived at the jail, he began being combative. Sheriff Frank Cantey said a “grappling” match between Davis and officers began before a taser device was used to get him under control.

After noticing a cut on his head, officers took Davis to Mayes County Medical Center, where he received stitches.

When he was put back in the jail, Jail Administrator Don Chambers heard a loud noise from his office and went to check on Davis.

Davis was banging his head on the wall in the same spot where he had stitches.

Cantey said jailers attempted to talk to Davis through the door to get him to stop.

“This is not unusual,” said Cantey in an earlier interview. “We get people that get mad and want to bang their head on the wall.”

At that point, Cantey said jailers went to restrain him and he was combative again, so a taser was used one more time.

After Davis was under control, an old football helmet was placed on his head and he was placed in ankle restraints, a belly chain and handcuffed.

Cantey said the helmet was used for his own

protection.

Davis was kept in the holding cell in restraints until 11:20 a.m., when he agreed to behave.

Cantey said Davis gave jailers no further problems after that. He was given a shower between 3 and 4 p.m. and ate dinner at 5 p.m.

Cantey said Davis was still acting intoxicated throughout the day.

“He was under the influence of something,” he said. “We don’t know what at this point. That’s why he was left in the holding cell close to the book-in area.”

Cantey said a jailer checked on Davis at

1 a.m., Wednesday, because he looked “strange.” His blood pressure, pulse and body temperature checked out fine.

Jailers began checking on him every 30 minutes through the window in the door and noticed his lips were blue at 2:30 a.m. CPR was administered when a jailer discovered Davis wasn’t breathing and had no pulse.

He was declared dead upon arrival at Mayes County Medical Center.

The M.E.’s office told Investigator Albert McKee in February that Davis’ death was “in no way related to a taser or a blunt trauma to the head.” The death was still under investigation at that time.

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