CENTRAL POINT, Ore. (Aug. 20, 2026) — A 39-year-old White City man died Tuesday night after becoming unresponsive during a Jackson County Sheriff’s Office arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants, authorities said.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday it would not release the man’s name out of respect for his family’s privacy.
Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon received a 911 call at 9:17 p.m. Aug. 18 from a man who was speaking incoherently and appeared confused. He told dispatchers that someone may have drugged him.
JCSO deputies responded to Table Rock Road and Orr Drive, where they found the man in the roadway obstructing traffic and showing signs of intoxication. Investigators determined he had driven to the location, and deputies took him into custody at 9:44 p.m. on suspicion of a controlled-substance DUII.
As deputies escorted the man toward a patrol vehicle, he began physically resisting, authorities said. Deputies lowered him to the ground to maintain control and requested additional units. Medical personnel were also asked to stage nearby.
The man then appeared to lose consciousness. Deputies placed him in the recovery position and requested medical personnel respond.
Moments later, he regained consciousness and began talking and physically resisting deputies again. Oregon State Police troopers arrived to assist. The man remained in the recovery position until Mercy Flights medics arrived at 9:51 p.m.
After medics evaluated him, the man was moved to a gurney at 9:58 p.m. Shortly afterward, he became unresponsive.
Paramedics immediately began life-saving measures, which continued until 10:42 p.m., authorities said. A subsequent search of the man’s belongings found a baggie containing a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine.
The Jackson County Major Assault and Death Investigation Unit is investigating the death, with the Medford Police Department serving as the lead investigating agency. Authorities said it is standard protocol for an outside law enforcement agency to investigate an in-custody death.
MADIU includes detectives from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, Medford Police Department, Central Point Police Department, Ashland Police Department and the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.
An autopsy and toxicology testing have been requested to help determine the cause and manner of death.
The investigation remains ongoing. The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office is expected to release additional information as it becomes available.
Discover more from Medford Alert News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
