A 50-year-old father of three who died while in custody at the Wyandotte County Detention Center in July was killed by “complications of mechanical asphyxia,” meaning an object or physical force stopped him from breathing, and his death has been ruled a homicide.
A Friday afternoon news release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said the autopsy findings have been presented to the Wyandotte County District Attorney, and any further information will come from that office.
Charles Adair of Kansas City, Kansas, received medical care for a preexisting wound on his leg in the detention center’s infirmary on July 5. According to the initial release from KBI, Adair yelled, refused to listen to commands and physically resisted when detention center personnel tried to transfer him back to his cell. Multiple sheriff’s deputies responded, handcuffed him and transported him to his cell. The report said he continued to resist when they attempted to remove the handcuffs, but they “gained control,” removed the cuffs and left.
Medical staff were called in immediately after, at 8:37 p.m., and found Adair unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at 9:19 p.m., despite life-saving measures from facility staff and emergency medical services.
An obituary from Marcom-Harvey Funeral Care described Adair as “a man whose laughter and warmth were as boundless as his love for family and friends.”
He was described as a devoted fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, with a deep appreciation for music. He was a “proud and doting uncle” to his nieces and nephews as well as a devoted father to his three children, the obituary said, and had a strong bond with his siblings.
“To know Charles was to laugh,” it reads. “His sense of humor was magnetic, and his natural ability to connect with others made him unforgettable. Whether he was cracking a joke or offering a word of encouragement, his spirit lifted those around him.”
Adair was arrested and brought to the detention facility one day earlier on misdemeanor warrants for failing to appear in court for multiple traffic violations.
The autopsy report said hypertensive cardiovascular disease and hepatic cirrhosis due to chronic alcoholism contributed to his death.
