Suspect Who Died in Transport to Natrona County Detention Center

The man who died in Casper Police custody on Wednesday was identified by the City of Casper's Coroner Office this morning.

In a phone call, the coroner's office said that the deceased person is Casper resident Wayne Sanchez, 62.

The next of kin has been notified.

The coroner's office is conducting an autopsy and the Casper Police say they will also conduct and investigation.

The Casper Police Department announced the death yesterday, stating that on Wednesday morning they responded to a minor crash at the intersection of E Street and Center Street.

Officers spoke with a passenger from one of the vehicles involved in the crash.

"Pursuant to their investigation, the officers developed probable cause to arrest the passenger for a drug violation," the release stated. "Initial investigation shows the arrest was benign, the suspect was cooperative, and the arrest required no use of police force."

The release stated that, in accordance with the policies of the Natrona County Detention Center, the decision was made to transport the suspect to Banner Wyoming Medical Center for medical evaluation.

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The suspect was evaluated by medical staff, released, and was approved for entry into the Natrona County Detention Center, where he was then transported to.

"Upon arrival at the Natrona County Detention Center, the arrestee fell unconscious and appeared to be suffering a medical event," the release stated. "Although lifesaving measures were immediately employed, the arrestee was pronounced deceased on scene."

"The cause of this fatal event initially appears to be medical in nature and is under active investigation," the release stated. "In our long-standing tradition of transparency, and as part of Casper Police Department policy, our department has formally requested the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Natrona County Coroner’s Office to thoroughly investigate the cause of this death."