An incarcerated man died after deputies found him unresponsive during a routine cell check at the Cayuga County Jail.
Andre Denman, 43, was found just before 4 a.m. on Thursday, February 5, according to the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office.
Staff immediately provided medical care and called for an ambulance to the public safety building. Crews transported Denman to Auburn Community Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead despite resuscitation efforts.
State law requires the New York State Attorney General’s Office to investigate in-custody deaths. The office has launched an independent investigation into the cause of death.
The sheriff’s office also addressed a social media post that claimed Denman was beaten and murdered while in custody.
“This claim is false,” the release states. “Denman was alone in his cell at the time he was found to be unresponsive.”
Officials urged people sharing information online to wait for confirmed findings from the investigation.
The Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting a forensic examination and autopsy. Officials said they are awaiting those findings and toxicology results.
“Out of respect for Andre Denman and his family, we are not sharing additional details at this time,” Sheriff Brian Schenck said.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].