An inmate at the Utah State Prison died Monday evening after an “altercation” with another inmate, prison officials announced Tuesday.
Officials released little details about the death, saying only that the man died “after his involvement in an altercation with another inmate” at the Oquirrh facility in Draper. Neither the name of the deceased, nor the other person involved in the fight, were immediately released.
Prison officials said the inmate’s death is not believed to be caused by the coronavirus.
The prison is currently experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak in another part of the Draper facility. As of Monday, there are 47 total current cases of confirmed coronavirus in the prison. Forty-five of those are in Baker Block, a medium-security housing area in the oldest section of the prison. Prison officials said the other two cases are new inmates.
The Utah Department of Health has tested 164 inmates in Baker Block as of last week.
Prison officials believe the virus began spreading at the Draper facility after a medical care provider came to the prison and treated inmates, then became symptomatic and tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after.
