On September 17th, 2019, Eugene “Geno” “Boo” Washington was arrested on a domestic battery warrant.
According to court records, Geno was denied an arraignment due to “behavior issues” the following date. Geno had a court date on September 19th where the case was continued. Online records show on the third court date on September 20th a full arraignment is gone through.
Geno’s next date was here he was to be arraigned on a new bill of indictment on 10/31/2019.
On October 28th, 2019, Geno Washington was found unconscious in his cell.
Corrections officers entered his cell before transferring him to Swedish American hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Recently charged Winnebago County Coroner said the autopsy results showed Geno died due to “cardiac arrhythmia due to sleep apnea.”
The family of Geno raised questions regarding the transparency and lack of communication the Integrity Task Force had with them, and the public.
It has been alleged that steps were taken by Winnebago County officials to prevent a second, independent autopsy from being done.
This was the nineteenth case investigated and justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force and the 21st deadly force incident in the 2010’s.
Geno was one of two individuals that died in the Winnebago County Jail in 2019 whose death was investigated and justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force.
This was the eighth deadly force incident since Tom McNamara took office.