Somerville Police Chief Thomas Pasquarello confirmed today that on Monday, August 6, at approximately 4:55 a.m., a prisoner in the custody of the Somerville Police Department suffered an unknown medical event while inside a cell at Police Headquarters. Police officers attempted to revive the prisoner and immediately summoned emergency medical assistance. He was transported by ambulance to Cambridge Hospital where he died a short time later.

The prisoner, William Reardon, aged 52, had been arrested on Friday evening on an outstanding arrest warrant from Boston District Court for failure to register as a sex offender. At his booking procedure, he stated that he was homeless.

In the early morning hours of August 6 the station commander who was watching the video monitor for the station’s holding cells noted that Mr. Reardon was sitting in an awkward position. In response, the commanding officer and another officer on duty immediately went to the cell to check on Mr. Reardon and found him to be unresponsive. They quickly determined that he was not breathing and summoned assistance from the Somerville Fire Department and Cataldo Ambulance Paramedics, who responded within minutes. In the meantime, the police officers began CPR using a department “ambu-bag” ventilator. They also utilized an AED, (automatic electronic defibrillator) device.

When hospital officials reported that Mr. Reardon had died, Chief Pasquarello and the State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office were immediately notified and began a standard death investigation. At this time, no foul play is expected and the cause of death has yet to be determined by the medical examiner.

The Somerville Police Department is cooperating with the District Attorney’s office and the Medical Examiner to determine the cause and circumstances of Mr. Reardon’s death.