More than a month after the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced the “unexpected passing” of a deputy, medical examiner records now show he died from the effects of methamphetamine.
Deputy Jonathan Stewart was found unconscious at the South Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station late on April 27, according to . Paramedics were called but the 41-year-old man died at the scene. The department offered few details about the circumstances of his death.
Now, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner’s website attributes the cause of Stewart’s death to the “effects of methamphetamine.” The website does not list any secondary or contributing causes, but indicates the death was ruled an accident and the case is still open.
It was unclear whether authorities found any drug paraphernalia or illicit substances at the scene of Stewart’s death. As of Thursday morning, the medical examiner’s office did not immediately respond to further questions.
A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department did not immediately comment.
Stewart joined the Sheriff’s Department in 2006 and later worked at the Inmate Reception Center before being transferred to the Los Angeles South Station in 2014. The department previously said he became a field training officer in 2020 and held that position. position until he dies. He is survived by his wife and three children.
“Jonathan has dedicated a decade serving the South Los Angeles community,” the department said in a statement in April. “He was respected and highly regarded by his colleagues and supervisors for his unwavering commitment.”
At the time, the Assn. of Los Angeles deputy sheriffs launched an online fundraiser to support Stewart’s widow and children.
His death occurred days before a deputy sheriff on the department’s anti-gang task force was arrested for allegedly smuggling heroin into a county jail, according to booking records and various police sources.
This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
