A 56-year-old man arrested with a blood alcohol level of 0.375 died the following day in the Carroll County jail in Berryville of complications related to chronic alcoholism, according to the Arkansas State Police and the state Crime Laboratory.
Scot William McKnight was arrested by officer Allen Mize of the Eureka Springs Police Department at 6:30 p.m. May 1, according to an investigative summary by Joshua Arnold of the state police.
McKnight was arrested on preliminary charges of public intoxication and criminal trespass, Arnold wrote.
"According to interviews conducted of jail staff, McKnight was given a portable breath test during the booking process and it returned a result of 0.375," Arnold wrote. "At the time of booking, McKnight was not reported as being combative and did not complain of any health issues. McKnight was placed in a single-occupant cell on the evening of May 1."
A blood alcohol level of 0.08 is considered too intoxicated to drive a vehicle in Arkansas.
According to the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, a person with a blood alcohol level of 0.30 would most likely be unconscious or in a stupor, and a person with a blood alcohol level of 0.40 would likely be in a coma or possibly dead.
McKnight ate breakfast and lunch in the jail May 2, according to Arnold's report. But McKnight didn't touch his dinner tray, which was left for him at 6 p.m. When jail personnel opened his cell at 6:14 p.m. May 2, they found him unresponsive. They administered CPR, then McKnight was transported to Mercy Hospital in Berryville, where he was pronounced dead at 6:49 p.m. May 2, Arnold wrote.
Charles P. Kokes, chief medical examiner, ruled that McKnight died of natural causes.
"Individuals with chronic alcoholism who suddenly stop alcohol consumption are known to be at increased risk for development of withdrawal seizures," Kokes wrote in his report. "In some instances, these can prove fatal."
Dr. Jon Rubenow, a psychiatrist with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Fayetteville, said it's possible that withdrawal seizures could be delayed until late the next day, but people can have intense withdrawal symptoms within six hours.
Rubenow said people seem to be primarily concerned with methamphetamine and other drugs, but "alcohol is the one that can really kill people in the withdrawal stage."
Prosecuting Attorney Tony Rogers said McKnight was homeless and suffered from medical problems beyond alcoholism.
"I think the gentleman was in poor health all the way around," he said.
If someone's alcohol level is 0.375 at the time of his arrest, Rogers said it's probably a good idea to take him to the hospital.
"As far as we were concerned, there was no criminal activity or any foul play," he said. "Hopefully, we all can learn from this and do better next time."
Carroll County Sheriff Jim Ross said McKnight "came down to a really low level of intoxication" before his death.
Ross said he has arrested people who were "very functional" when they had blood alcohol levels of 0.35 or 0.40, so deciding when to take a person to the hospital instead of the jail is subjective.
State Desk on 08/16/2019