James Hirt
James Hirt, 24, of Norco, died on December 25, 2024, while held at the Larry Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, Riverside County, California. According to a sheriff's news release, deputies used pepper spray to stop a fight between Hirt and a cellmate, then handcuffed both men, and Hirt became unresponsive; paramedics treated him, and he was pronounced dead at the jail. Sheriff Chad Bianco has said Hirt started the fight. The sheriff's department has not disclosed the type of injuries or medical emergency, and the cause and manner of death remain under investigation by special investigators.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department says deputies used pepper spray during a fight in his cell and that the cause of death is under investigation.
Reported by: Riverside County Sheriff's Department (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.