Jail warden: Woman held at Allegheny County Jail dies as a result of 'medical incident'

A woman who was arrested Friday and held in the Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh overnight died Saturday morning in what officials said was a “medical incident.”

Acting Warden Shane T. Dady reported the woman’s death on Saturday morning took place in the jail’s intake department. The person was identified only as a 53-year-old woman. She had been brought into jail Friday on a felony possession charge.

A medical emergency was called at about 7:30 a.m. as a result of “a medical indicident.” Jail health care staff attempted lifesaving measures until paramedics arrived and took over, but the woman died there.

Dady said in a news release that the investigation has been turned over to the county police and an internal review will be conducted.

The woman’s name, as well as her cause and manner of death, will be released by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner Office.

“We offer our condolences to the deceased and their family,” Dady said. “We have invested time and effort to assess our processes in intake and throughout the facility to identify and provide care to those who are most vulnerable. We will continue striving to provide the best possible care to our residents.”