The Arkansas State Police is investigating the death of a woman who had been taken to the Van Buren County jail for disorderly conduct at the Ozark Health Medical Center in Clinton, authorities said Tuesday.
State police spokesman Bill Sadler identified the woman as Antwan Bower, 36. Her place of residence was unavailable Tuesday.
"At this particular juncture in the investigation Special Agents of the State Police Criminal Investigation Division are working closely with the State Crime Laboratory to determine the manner and cause of death and document what transpired inside the jail prior to the victim's death," Sadler said in an email.
The investigative file then will be submitted to the prosecuting attorney for review, Sadler said.
A Van Buren County jail administrator declined to say Tuesday what charges the woman was being held on, and said the sheriff's office had been told not to comment on the case during the state police investigation.
Sadler said, "We have not issued any order for them" not to talk about the case, especially public information such as why the woman was being held.
Sheriff Scott Bradley said he was in Florida and referred questions to his office in Clinton.
Clinton Police Chief Toney Parish said sheriff's deputies found the woman lying in a ditch near Bee Branch on July 6 and called an ambulance to take her to the local hospital's emergency room. Parish said he did not know whether she was unconscious when she was found.
At the hospital, Parish said, Bower "threw a fit" when a doctor arrived. The chief said he believes Bower must have been "terribly high on drugs."
At some point, he said, the hospital contacted Parish, asking him to help the medical staff deal with her.
"We gave her a choice -- go to the hospital or jail for disorderly conduct," Parish said.
She chose jail, he said, but still was angry.
"She was fighting us like crazy" as officers tried to get her inside the jail, Parish said.
The jail put Bower in a restraint chair, he said, because she was "kicking and fighting. She was very conscious" at that point.
At some point, the woman became unconscious and was taken to the hospital, where doctors confirmed she had died, according to state police.
Parish said he did not know Bower and did not know whether she was from the area.
State Desk on 07/15/2015