A death at the Santa Clara County Jail has now turned into a criminal investigation. NBC Bay Area has learned new details about the officers involved and the identity of the man who died.
According to documents from Santa Clara Superior Court, the man's name is Michael Tyree. He was 31 years old. Sources say he was well-known in the court and jail community. He was serving a five day sentence for a petty theft misdemeanor and had served an identical sentence last April.
Tyree waiting to be transferred to a bed at Momentum Crisis Residential Treatment Center, a nonprofit providing mental health services in Santa Clara County. Documents show Tyree had a long history of mental health problems. Last monday he appeared before a mental health court where he told Judge Stephen Manley that he was doing fine.
Sources say that before Tyree died, he and three correctional officers got into a loud confrontation. They say a physical confrontation ensued and Tyree was wounded.
Several sources have said that Tyree's wounds were consistent with a physical beating, with lacerations to his liver and spleen. The autopsy report has yet to be publicly released.
Officers went to check on Tyree about an hour later and found him unresponsive.
Three different sources have confirmed that search warrants have been served on each of the correctional officers' homes. The sources note that one of the officers has had multiple use of force complaints filed against him in the past.
Local
NBC Bay Area contacted Michael Tyree's family in Louisiana but his sister said the family was not ready to speak at this time.
Santa Clara's Sheriff's Office said, "We are working around the clock on this case and it is an ongoing investigation."
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