Coroner: Stun gun didn’t cause WA inmate’s death

KENNEWICK — The Benton County coroner says a Spokane man’s death last December in the county jail was an accident and not caused by an earlier stun gun shock. The Tri-City Herald reports that on Monday the Benton County Coroner released the results of Kevin Culp’s autopsy, saying the inmate died of a condition related to a tonic-clonic seizure, formerly known as a grand mal seizure, while he was in a restraint chair in the jail. The morning of Dec. 17 Culp had a medical problem and called nurses for help, but then became combative with two nurses and a corrections officer. Culp was shocked with a Taser and restrained. Culp was in the jail as a contract inmate for the state Department of Corrections.