Man dies at Olmsted County Jail; second death in 2023

ROCHESTER, Minn. (FOX 9) - An investigation is underway after an inmate at the Olmsted County Jail in Rochester, Minnesota died after being found not breathing over the weekend.

In a news release on Monday afternoon, the sheriff's office said the man, identified as 59-year-old Melvin Tyrone Bush, was found not breathing in a cell on Sunday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. by a deputy during a routine wellness check. 

After discovering Bush, deputies say they tried to revive him. He was then rushed to St. Mary's emergency room, where he was ultimately pronounced dead.

It is the second jail death in Olmsted County since the start of the year. In January, deputies reported another 59-year-old man, identified as Russell James Simon Jr., was found not breathing during an early morning check. Simon was pronounced dead at the jail.

The circumstances of each death are unknown. Deputies say Bush was being held for violating a no-contact order when he died.

Both deaths are being reviewed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.