LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Editor's note: The above video on protestors demanding an investigation into the death of Tirhas Tesfatsion originally aired Aug. 2, 2021.
Two Lynnwood Jail officers face unpaid suspensions over the death of an inmate in July of 2021.
Tirhas Tesfatsion died by suicide in the Lynnwood Jail on July 13, 2021. An investigation into her death by the Kirkland Police Department found inmate safety checks were not being performed at 60-minute intervals by staff on the day shift at the jail.
The investigative report into Tesfatsion's death revealed the last inmate safety check performed in her housing model before she died was at meal service at 12:04 p.m. The next check wasn't until 3:01 p.m., approximately an hour after she committed suicide.
Surveillance video at the jail showed the three available custody officers, Nathan Szalda, Zach Rittgarn and Randy Noble, "focused primarily on their work stations and/or cellphones" for the two to three-hour period between meal service and the 3 p.m. safety check.
Video also captured officers Rittgarn and Noble looking at "video content" that "does not appear to be work-related" during that time period, according to the report.
The investigation found "significant" lapses in inmate safety checks on the day Tesfatsion died, and also on the day she was taken into custody on July 12. The report noted five separate instances where day-shift custody officers went beyond the 60-minute requirement for inmate safety checks, and five separate events involving Tesfatsion that were not logged into the officer activity log.
On average, officers performed safety checks around 30 minutes beyond the 60-minute requirement, according to the report.
The investigation found two of the officers, Noble and Rittgarn, were also violating the City of Lynnwood's internet use policy at the time of Tesfatsion's death. Internet logs show the officers were accessing non-work-related content over multiple occasions on July 12 and 13, which interfered with the performance of their official duties.
The report also cited a lack of communication among staff as a contributing factor to lapses in safety checks.
"There appeared to be no concrete system in place that any of the day-shift officers interviewed could identify that would ensure timely inmate safety checks were going to be performed," the report read.
Following Tesfatsion's death, Rittgarn resigned from his position at the Lynnwood Jail. Szalda was issued a six-shift suspension from the jail for missing two inmate-safety checks and Noble was issued a 15-shift suspension for engaging in a non-work-related activity at the time of Tesfatsion's death and missing two inmate safety checks.
Following the investigation, the City of Lynnwood said it plans to correct the way inmate safety checks are assigned, conducted and recorded in the jail, as well as cell check frequency and supervisory oversight.
The report also recommends the jail re-examine current surveillance monitor locations in the existing facility and consider providing additional surveillance feeds in the patrol squad room.
Tesfatsion also attempted to make nine calls while at the jail, all of which were declined, unanswered or did not go through. The report recommends providing additional communication avenues for inmates, including email, free phone calls or text messaging.
"Additional communication options could increase the chances of an inmate, who may be in crisis, successfully contacting somebody who could help and/or notify jail staff of an issue," the report read.
The city said it will also order an examination of how the jail classifies and houses people and how to provide limited free access to outside communication via phone, text or computer.
Staff who were interviewed over the course of the investigation also "expressed a lack of training with respect to suicide awareness." The investigation found training custody staff on recognizing suicidal behavior would be "beneficial in a jail setting."
"We are sorry for the loss of Tirhas Tesfatsion and apologize for the actions of the custody officers. We are committed to proactively ensuring a safe environment for all members of our community," said a spokesperson for the City of Lynnwood in a statement.