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The Maryland Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death of a teenager in custody on murder charges in the killing of a police officer was a homicide.
Ronnie Lionel White, 19, of Laurel, died Sunday morning in his jail cell. He had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 39-year-old Prince George's County police Cpl. Richard Findley. Police said White was the driver of a pickup truck that struck Findley on Friday.
Prince George's County jail spokeswoman Vicki Duncan said White was found unconscious in his cell about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. She said White was alone in his cell and there were no signs of trauma.
White was admitted to the jail at 12:24 a.m. Saturday and given a medical assessment before being placed in a cell.
Jail officials said he had been classified as a "high-profile offender" and was being housed alone in a maximum security cell. Guards checked on him every 30 minutes.
Guards had checked on White about 10:15 a.m. Sunday. At the time, he was sitting on the edge of his bunk and appeared alert, according to a press release.
When they returned at 10:30 a.m. with his lunch, corrections officers found White "sitting on the floor" of his jail cell, unresponsive, the release said.
Guards could not revive him or detect a pulse. An ambulance took him to the Prince George's County Hospital Center at 11:08 a.m. He was admitted at about 11:28 a.m. and pronounced dead at 11:39 a.m., the release said.
County Public Safety Director Vernon Herron has asked police to launch an investigation into White's death. The jail will conduct an internal investigation.
White was one of four people taken into custody Friday after Findley, a veteran police officer, was struck and killed by the driver of a stolen pickup truck.
Findley had been monitoring the truck on Laurel-Bowie Road when several men returned to the vehicle, police said. They rammed Findley's cruiser during an attempted traffic stop, then hit the officer when he got out of the cruiser.
According to court records, White pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm last year and to drug possession in another case. In 2006, he was charged with first-degree assault and armed robbery, but the case was dropped, records show. Last November, he was sentenced to more than six months in prison, but it's not clear when he was released.
It was unclear if White had an attorney, and family members could not be immediately located.
A funeral service for Findley is set for 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Joseph's Church in Beltsville with interment at Lakemount Memorial Gardens in Davidsonville. Viewings will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Borgwardt Funeral Home in Beltsville.
Ronnie Lionel White, 19, of Laurel, died Sunday morning in his jail cell. He had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 39-year-old Prince George's County police Cpl. Richard Findley. Police said White was the driver of a pickup truck that struck Findley on Friday.
Prince George's County jail spokeswoman Vicki Duncan said White was found unconscious in his cell about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. She said White was alone in his cell and there were no signs of trauma.
White was admitted to the jail at 12:24 a.m. Saturday and given a medical assessment before being placed in a cell.
Jail officials said he had been classified as a "high-profile offender" and was being housed alone in a maximum security cell. Guards checked on him every 30 minutes.
Guards had checked on White about 10:15 a.m. Sunday. At the time, he was sitting on the edge of his bunk and appeared alert, according to a press release.
When they returned at 10:30 a.m. with his lunch, corrections officers found White "sitting on the floor" of his jail cell, unresponsive, the release said.
Guards could not revive him or detect a pulse. An ambulance took him to the Prince George's County Hospital Center at 11:08 a.m. He was admitted at about 11:28 a.m. and pronounced dead at 11:39 a.m., the release said.
County Public Safety Director Vernon Herron has asked police to launch an investigation into White's death. The jail will conduct an internal investigation.
White was one of four people taken into custody Friday after Findley, a veteran police officer, was struck and killed by the driver of a stolen pickup truck.
Findley had been monitoring the truck on Laurel-Bowie Road when several men returned to the vehicle, police said. They rammed Findley's cruiser during an attempted traffic stop, then hit the officer when he got out of the cruiser.
According to court records, White pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm last year and to drug possession in another case. In 2006, he was charged with first-degree assault and armed robbery, but the case was dropped, records show. Last November, he was sentenced to more than six months in prison, but it's not clear when he was released.
It was unclear if White had an attorney, and family members could not be immediately located.
A funeral service for Findley is set for 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Joseph's Church in Beltsville with interment at Lakemount Memorial Gardens in Davidsonville. Viewings will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Borgwardt Funeral Home in Beltsville.
