March Jail Death Ruled An Accident

Milwaukee County Jail. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Charges are not being filed following an investigation into the death of Joseph Boivin who died in Milwaukee County Sheriff‘s Office (MCSO) custody in March.

Boivin, 49, was booked into the Milwaukee County Jail on March 15 after his arrest by the Shorewood Police Department. He died three days later, on March 18, at Froedtert Hospital.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner determined Boivin from a brain bleed caused by blunt force trauma sustained before he was arrested on March 15. His death was ruled accidental.

Following an investigation by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office found “no basis” for charges against any MCSO personnel in relation to Boivin’s death, according to an Oct. 29 letter from District Attorney Kent Lovern.

“While we appreciate that the WCSO investigation concluded that Mr. Boivin’s death was not caused by criminal actions of any MCSO employee, this is not an occasion to celebrate,” Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball said in the statement. “A man died, and we offer our condolences to his loved ones.”

State law does not allow law enforcement agencies to investigate themselves when an individual dies in their custody. The MCSO is a member of the Milwaukee Area Investigative Team (MAIT), which includes a number of local agencies, and which investigates critical incidents involving each other.

The agency and the jail have came under increased scrutiny by the public and elected officials starting in 2022 after the death of Brieon Green, who committed suicide less than 30 minutes after being booked into the jail. A correctional consultant concluded an audit of the Milwaukee County Jail this year, with a particular focus on the institution’s suicide policies. The audit found inadequate suicide watch practices, lack of training and overall unsanitary conditions at the jail.

Since Boivin passed away in March, two other men have died in the jail this year. In May, Gabriel Muniz-Jimenez, 33, died while in-custody at the jail. On Sept. 12 A 34-year old man named Melvin Goodwin was found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead at the scene.

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