OKLAHOMA CITY – An inmate from the Oklahoma County Detention Center died Wednesday night following a medical episode just hours after being booked into the jail.
52-year-old Sheila Danette Prince was arrested by Oklahoma City Police just before 11am Wednesday morning and booked into the Oklahoma County jail on a charge of domestic assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Just hours later, at 8:43pm, jail officials say that staff were distributing medication to inmates when they observed Prince “in need of medical attention,” leading jail staff to attempt life-saving measures and to call for emergency medical services.
EMSA transported Prince to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead at 10:10pm, less than 12 hours after her initial arrest.
No other information was provided about the circumstances or details of the medical episode that led to Prince’s death in custody, but it is standard protocol for any death of a detention center inmate to be investigated as a homicide.
Prince’s death is the second reported death of an inmate in the Oklahoma County jail this year, and the second since the announcement of a new media policy in late-January stating that, in the event of an inmate’s death, “the facility will release the individual’s name and date of the incident, with additional details provided if and when appropriate.”
Note: Charges, information, or claims made by law enforcement have not yet been tested in court. Under the law, all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty before a jury of their peers or a plea of guilt.
Free Press will provide more information regarding this death and ensuing investigation if and when it becomes available.
Brett Fieldcamp is the owner and Editor in Chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly two decades and served as Arts & Entertainment Editor before purchasing the company from founder Brett Dickerson in 2026.
He is also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
