Officials in Fulton County, Georgia, say an inmate died on Thursday at the jail where former President Donald Trump and other defendants are expected to be booked on charges that they interfered with the 2020 presidential election in the state.
Officials say Alexander Hawkins, 66, was found unresponsive in a medical unit at the jail on Thursday morning. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was declared dead.
Atlanta police had arrested Hawkins on July 31. He was charged with shoplifting and held on $5,000 bail, and booked into the Rice Street Jail on Aug. 5.
Coroners will perform an autopsy to determine the exact cause of Hawkins’ death.
SEE MORE: What to know about the Fulton County Jail where Trump will be booked
This comes days before Trump and 18 other defendants will be booked at the jail, after being indicted August 14th on charges related to interfering with Georgia’s election process in 2020.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has given defendants until noon on Aug. 25 to turn themselves in.
In July, the U.S. Justice Department opened a civil investigation into conditions at the jail. The inquiry is not related to Georgia’s case against Trump.
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