Friday, November 22, 2013

High Risk Inmate Has Medical Issue On Transport Last Night

Inmate Transport Delayed In Arrival To Mesa County


Mesa County, Colo.-- On November 21, 2013, Mesa County Sheriff’s deputies were transporting three inmates back from different facilities in the Pueblo/Canyon City area, en-route back to our facility. During the transport, deputies noticed one inmate showing signs of distress. 
Dartanin Mitchell, 35, photo taken July 2013

In Gunnison, Colo., the transport deputies secured two of the inmates in the Gunnison County Detention Facility  while taking the third inmate to the emergency room at the Gunnison Valley Hospital. Under guard by our deputies and local Gunnison law enforcement, the inmate was diagnosed by medical professionals and stabilized for medical ambulance transport to continue travel into Grand Junction. Indications and our belief is that a substance(s) was ingested by the inmate at a facility prior to being picked up by our agency transport deputies.

The ill inmate, Dartanin Duran Mitchell, 35, is considered high risk. He previously escaped from custody of a private transport contractor in the Kansas area, and was apprehended in the Denver Metro area. He currently is serving a prison sentence for armed robberies and assaults that he committed while on escape status in the Denver area. He was being brought to Mesa County for an upcoming court hearing associated with a local case. He currently has multiple on-going cases in our local court system. 

For security reasons, the transport team was augmented with the assistance of Gunnison and Montrose County law enforcement agencies as our transport van and ambulance caravanned to Grand Junction. Gunnison authorities escorted to the Montrose County line where Montrose Sheriff’s Office deputies escorted into the Montrose area. The transport team was met by our agency deputies in Montrose County and escorted the group back to our area. 

Upon return to Grand Junction, Mitchell was admitted into a local hospital and currently is under heavy guard by our deputies. Upon medical release, Mitchell will be booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility. The other two inmates were immediately booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility after arriving back in the County, without incident. 

The Sheriff’s Office wishes to thank the Gunnison Valley Hospital EMS Service, Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office, Gunnison Police Department, Gunnison County Dispatch, Montrose County Sheriff’s Office and the Grand Junction Regional Communications Center for their direct assistance in assuring safe transport back to Mesa County.

The Sheriff’s Office will continue to investigate what substance may have been taken by Mitchell and has notified the Colorado Department of Corrections facility that he was picked up from of this incident.