Prosecutor reviewing jail inmate's dehydration death

COUPEVILLE, Wash. (AP) — The prosecutor of Island County, Washington, says he is reviewing a sheriff's office internal investigation of the April dehydration death of a county jail inmate to determine whether criminal charges are warranted.

The Daily Herald of Everett reports that Prosecutor Greg Banks on Wednesday asked the community for time to make a careful decision in the case of 25-year-old Keaton Farris of Lopez Island, found dead April 8. Water had been shut off to his cell.

Island County Sheriff Mark Brown, whose agency runs the small jail, has apologized publicly for the death. The chief deputy in the jail was suspended for 30 days without pay, and a lieutenant was placed on leave. Two corrections deputies have resigned since being put on leave after the death. The investigation determined that deputies hadn't been checking on Farris as needed. Detectives also alleged that the deputies who later resigned had falsified logs after Farris died to make it appear they'd been monitoring him.

Lawyers representing Farris' family have called the death "unconscionable."