Nevada inmate pepper-sprayed, held face down before he died; death ruled homicide

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A Nevada coroner’s office ruled that an inmate who was pepper-sprayed, shackled and restrained with his face to the ground was killed by prison guards.

An autopsy report revealed that 39-year-old Patrick Odale’s death at the Southern Desert Correctional Center on Dec. 28, 2023 was ruled a homicide, The Associated Press reported.

The autopsy report was finalized in late August after a nearly nine-month investigation by the Clark County coroner’s office into Odale’s death at the mostly medium security prison near Las Vegas.

The report said Odale died of "positional and mechanical asphyxia in the setting of law enforcement restraint."

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(This undated image provided by Amy Estrada shows Patrick Odale in North Las Vegas, Nevada. (Amy Estrada via AP))

Oregon-based forensic pathology expert Michael Freeman, who was not involved in the investigation, told The Associated Press "mechanical and positional asphyxia" typically happens when someone is restrained face down with their hands behind their back, while pressure is placed on their torso, arms or neck.

The report also noted that Odale had low levels of methamphetamine and xylazine, an animal sedative, in his system, which the coroner’s office described as a "major contributor" to his death.

When the Nevada Department of Corrections announced Odale’s death in a January news release, it did not reveal details suggesting the inmate was restrained.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Nevada Department of Corrections for comment.

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Patrick Odale died at the Southern Desert Correctional Center in Nevada on Dec. 28, 2023. (Google Maps)

The agency told The Associated Press it had no comment because the matter is still an "active investigation."

It is not clear how many officers were involved in Odale’s death, if any of the officers were disciplined, or how Odale was able to gain access to drugs while in custody.

In May, a corrections officer was arrested as part of the agency’s so-called "crack down on contraband," after allegedly bringing cigarettes, lighters, cellphones, vape pens, tobacco and liquid spice into the facility, court records obtained by The AP show.

Odale was sentenced in early 2023 to up to two years in prison for being in possession of a stolen credit card and attempting to carry a concealed weapon.

The night that he died, officers reported that Odale was "erratic and growling" at them, the autopsy showed.

The report said the guards pepper-sprayed Odale and put him in a storage room with yard tools for several minutes until he started "thrashing in the room."

Officers then allegedly pulled him to the ground, restrained him and took him to the prison infirmary.

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The Clark County Coroner's Office reported that Narcan was administered to Patrick Odale several times before he died. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

During the ordeal, medical and prison staff administered Narcan to Odale several times.

The coroner’s office reviewed video of the incident in order to determine the cause and manner of death, and the autopsy report indicates there could be a gap in the video footage.

The medical examiner said the footage shows Odale groaning as he is taken to the infirmary. Odale was also seen face-down with his hands shackled behind his back.

Then, the medical examiner said, "after a gap, video coverage resumes," and staff is seen performing CPR on Odale, who was unresponsive.

"When the video resumes, the inmate is face-up with hands shackled anteriorly," the autopsy stated, meaning that his hands were no longer shackled behind him but were in front of his body.

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Odale was pronounced dead shortly after.

The medical examiner ruled that Odale died because he was restrained in a way that prevented him from breathing, along with the effects of recent drug use.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.