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SPRINGFIELD MUNICIPAL JAIL Authorities reviewing Springfield jail's third death in 5 years Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Oct. 29, 2015 at 3:33 PM By The Associated Press Posted Oct. 29, 2015 at 3:33 PM » Social News EUGENE — An Oregon man who struggled with alcoholism for years, unable to make the Alcoholics Anonymous program stick, relapsed and ended up in jail earlier this month. Two days later, he was found dead on the floor of his cell. Springfield police arrested Tyson Jon Christian, 42, on Oct. 15. They said he was stealing alcohol from a liquor store, reported The Register-Guard. Christian was placed on medical watch because he was intoxicated, said municipal jail Commander Russ Boring. Two days later, while Christian was still on medical watch, he died from what police described as a "medical emergency." Police said medics tried for 30 minutes to revive him but were unsuccessful. It's the third death in the Springfield Municipal Jail's five-year history. The first two were men who hanged themselves, though neither was on suicide watch. The second suicide was in January, and Boring says an internal review found that the jail had done nothing wrong. The review did suggest more suicide training for staff and filling in the holes in the bunk beds, which Boring says has been done. An external review by an Oregon State Police investigator resulted in minor policy tweaks, including making mental health specialists available to all inmates, said Boring. Now, the jail is reviewing Christian's death. Boring an initial review suggests jail staff did all they could to save him and that it could take months for the Lane County Medical Examiner to determine a cause of death. "They did a good job," Boring said of his staff's efforts. But Christian's former fiancée, Melissa Pletcher, said she doesn't understand why no one was able to help him. "I feel like I've lost a piece of my heart," she said. Pletcher explained that she broke up with Christian in March, ending a four-year relationship when he relapsed again. "The disease of alcoholism overtook him," Pletcher said. "When he was healthy, he was a wonderful guy. He gave the best hugs ever. He made you feel safe. But he'd been struggling for most of his life with addiction. I believe he really tried." She kept in touch with Christian, hoping he could stay sober and they might be able to reunite. Pletcher said Christian's relapses always ended with him becoming unresponsive and very obviously in need of help. She questions how the jail staff could have missed that warning sign. Jail commander Boring said Christian was lying on the mattress on the floor during the last check before he was found unresponsive. The man was breathing and seemed "fine," he said. Pletcher also wondered why Christian — who was still in jail roughly 36 hours after his arrested because no one posted bail — didn't call her or a family member. Boring explained that phone time is considered a privilege for inmates, and that inmates under medical watch can't access a phone because of their medical state. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Oct. 29, 2015 at 3:33 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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