OH Cops Did Nothing for Over an Hour after Jennifer Wade was Found Unconscious on Concrete Floor in Cell. Cops Then Denied CPR to Black Woman, leading to Death in Cleveland Jail Run by Liberals

Correctional staff failed to start CPR the moment they discovered Jennifer Wade lifeless in her Cuyahoga County jail cell last year, state inspectors concluded in a review of the 41-year-old mother’s death.

It was the second such review. In the months after Wade’s death in February 2025, inspectors found that the jail staff acted appropriately. But they reopened their review after The Marshall Project - Cleveland reported on video evidence the county did not turn over to inspectors.

The officer-worn body camera videos showed that corrections staff admitted to leaving Wade alone on the concrete floor of her cell for hours before calling a nurse. A county report said employees believed she may have been pretending to be unconscious. Even after calling the nurse, more than 20 minutes elapsed before anyone began CPR.

In the state’s second review — which the county received earlier this month — inspectors concluded that correctional staff, which include MetroHealth nurses contracted by the county, had failed to start CPR immediately after determining that Wade was not breathing and that her heart had stopped.

The inspection also found that only three of the 12 county-employed corrections officers who responded were CPR trained, though the county later provided the state records showing that all 12 had completed CPR training through the American Red Cross. Still, none of the officers began chest compressions or assisted breathing.

Whether jail staff, even those trained to save lives, are required to act is unclear, with the language in the employee manual indicating officers should rely on their training but not explicitly saying they should start CPR. However, as part of their review, the inspectors required that the county submit a plan to improve its emergency response. [MORE] and [MORE]