- Chintan Shah, a 40-year-old man, was found unresponsive and died at Alachua County Jail on Thursday morning despite emergency efforts.
- The Alachua County Sheriff's Office is conducting both a criminal investigation and an internal review following Shah's death in custody.
A 40-year-old man died Thursday morning while in custody at the Alachua County Jail in Gainesville.
According to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) release, at approximately 7:23 a.m. on Thursday, jail staff contacted the Combined Communications Center to request emergency medical services after a detention officer found the man unresponsive in his cell during a morning cell inspection.
The man, identified as Chintan Shah, was housed alone. Detention officers immediately activated a “Code Blue,” summoning detention and medical personnel to assist with life-saving efforts.
Detention officers and jail medical staff began providing emergency care, including CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator.
Emergency medical personnel arrived at approximately 7:31 a.m. and took over life-saving efforts. Despite the efforts of detention officers, jail medical staff and emergency medical personnel, Shah was pronounced dead at 7:42 a.m.
Shah’s next of kin has been notified.
Shah, a UF professor, was arrested in July
Shah, a UF Health doctor and assistant professor, was arrested in July for possession of child sexual abuse material, transmission of child sexual abuse material, and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
The ACSO Criminal Investigations Division responded to the jail and is investigating the death. The investigation is standard procedure for any death occurring inside the jail and will be conducted concurrently with an internal investigation by the ACSO of Professional Standards.