Benton County inmate’s death ruled a suicide

A Benton County inmate died by suicide Sunday.

Kennewick police arrested Gary R. Cusack, 63, of Kittitas County, on July 25 for driving under the influence. He was booked into the Benton County jail.

Sometime on Saturday afternoon, corrections officers saw Cusack had tried to hang himself with some clothing.

The jailers revived him, and he was taken to Trios Southridge Hospital, said Deputy Coroner Roy McLean.

Cusack then was sent to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland about 8:45 p.m. and died about five hours later, McLean said.

McLean said an autopsy was done Tuesday.

The Tri-City Special Investigations Unit, which conducts criminal investigations into officer-involved incidents, has been activated in the past for deaths in the jail.

Sheriff Jerry Hatcher said Tuesday that he wouldn’t talk about Cusack’s death, saying he finds reporting on suicides “distasteful.”

It’s not clear if he’s requested an SIU investigation into what happened.