Tacoma man found dead in Pierce County Jail was charged with killing 2 people
A Tacoma man who reportedly suffered a medical emergency and died while in custody at the Pierce County Jail was suspected of fatally shooting two people in 2023.
Ontario Pruitt, 32, died at the jail in the 900 block of Tacoma Avenue South on May 16. His cause and manner of death are pending, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office in a news release. The “pending” status is a temporary designation used when additional information is required for certification.
Pruitt suffered a medical emergency from a previous health condition at 5:25 p.m. that day. He alerted medical staff who came to assist him, The News Tribune reported last week.
After life-saving measures were attempted, Pruitt was pronounced dead at 6:23 p.m., the story said.
His death is under investigation, according to a Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.
Pruitt had been in the jail for two years after he was charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated murder and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm for a May 15, 2023 shooting.
Prosecutors said Pruitt fatally shot Joseph Johnson, 61, and Joseph Smith, 70, at the Wisteria Walk Apartments in Lakewood. Pruitt had been upset because his uncle died from a drug overdose in Smith’s unit the day before. Johnson was there as an acquaintance, The News Tribune reported.
Detectives believe Pruitt pushed Smith to the ground when he opened the apartment door and shot Johnson. He then fired six bullets into Smith while he was on the ground, according to the probable cause document.
Documents show Pruitt surrendered to Lakewood police and apologized, saying he overreacted.
Pruitt pleaded not guilty to the charges and had been in the Pierce County Jail on a $5 million bail.
