OK County Inmate Dies in Fight with Cellmate

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma County jail inmate has died less than a day after his arrest, following a fight with his cellmate, according to the county detention center.

Shawn Slavens, 46, died at a hospital on June 25th after being found unconscious in the cell, the detention center said Monday in a statement on its website.

“An investigation into Slavens’ death conducted by the Detention Special Investigations Unit is ongoing,” according to the statement. “Once the investigation is complete, the case will be screened with the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office for possible appropriate charges.”

Slavens had been arrested on June 24th for indecent exposure, according to court records. His was the 11th inmate death of the year at the jail and came just days before county voters approved a $260 million bond issue to build a new jail.

Slavens’ body was sent to the state medical examiner’s office to determine the cause of death, the detention center statement said.