Cottondale Man Dies During Booking at Tuscaloosa Jail, Investigation Underway

Police do not immediately suspect foul play after a Cottondale man died during his booking into the Tuscaloosa County Jail on Tuesday morning.

Captain Jack Kennedy, commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, said the incident occurred at about 11:45 a.m. while 64-year-old John Earl Norman was being processed for holding in the jail.

The Violent Crimes Unit is a team comprised of detectives from the Tuscaloosa, Northport, and University of Alabama Police Departments and the County Sheriff's Office. They forego jurisdictional boundaries and investigate almost all local deaths that occur outside of a hospital setting, as well as assault cases and sex crimes. Their involvement in a death case does not necessarily indicate suspicion of foul play.

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Kennedy said Norman was encountered by law enforcement officers on Tuesday morning and was found to have an outstanding criminal warrant. The man was taken to the Tuscaloosa County Jail to be booked, but during that process, he evidently suffered a medical emergency and died.

Kennedy said jail deputies and medical staff attempted to aid and revive Norman, but he could not be resuscitated and died under the supervision of jail staff.

The VCU is investigating because the death happened outside a hospital setting and in police custody, and Kennedy said both jail employees and surveillance cameras witnessed the incident, and their presumption is that the death resulted from an unknown medical issue.

"Due to the death occurring while in custody, the Violent Crimes Unit, along with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, will conduct a death investigation," Kennedy wrote. "Since the jail is administered by the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation will by conducted by officers and supervisors not affiliated with the Sheriff’s Office."

Court records show Norman has a criminal history in Tuscaloosa County, primarily misdemeanor property and drug crimes.

No other information was immediately available on Tuesday.

For more exclusive coverage of crime and courts in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.