The Death of Geno Washington

On September 17, 2019, Eugene “Geno” “Boo” Washington was arrested on a domestic battery warrant. He appeared in court on September 19, where the case was continued, and online records show a full arraignment took place on September 20. His next scheduled court date was October 31, 2019, for arraignment on a new bill of indictment.

Before that hearing could occur, Geno was found unconscious in his jail cell on October 28, 2019. Corrections officers entered the cell and transported him to Swedish American Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz later stated that the autopsy determined Geno died from “cardiac arrhythmia due to sleep apnea.” Geno’s family raised concerns about the lack of transparency and communication from the Integrity Task Force and alleged that Winnebago County officials took steps to prevent an independent autopsy from being conducted.

This incident was the 19th case investigated and deemed justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force, the 21st deadly force incident of the 2010s, one of two jail deaths in 2019 investigated by the task force, and the eighth deadly force incident since Tom McNamara took office.