Inmate death in ‘Richland jail’ causes stir in Tri-Cities case of mistaken identity

An inmate death in Ohio is causing a flurry of angry phone calls in Kennewick in a case of mistaken identity.

News of the death of Alexander Jose Rios, 38, in the “Richland jail” has been circulating on Facebook and Twitter.

The September 2019 death caught people’s attention when a video surfaced showing five corrections officers punching, tasering and stepping on his back while failing to notice he needed medical help.

The death was in Richland County in Ohio, and did not have anything to do with either Richland police or the Benton County jail in Washington state.

It didn’t stop several people from calling the Benton County Corrections Department, according to a statement from Benton County.

“We at the Benton County Corrections Department understand the concern from our community and want our constituents to understand that this incident did not take place at the Benton County jail or under the watch of the Benton County, WA Corrections Department,” said the statement from the local corrections’ Chief Scott Souza.

While they did not want to comment about the Ohio incident, they said the department staff values the people in their custody and the people in the community.

This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 6:23 PM.