East Baltimore man dies while being held at Central Booking

Death of man, held on drug charges, not considered suspicious

An East Baltimore resident died Friday night while being held at the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center, a state corrections spokesman said.

Keith Johnson, 50, was being held on $10,000 bail for drug charges, said the spokesman, Mark Vernarelli. He had seen by medical staff and had returned to a holding cell when he requested to see medical staff again, the spokesman said.

Johnson then collapsed when he stepped into the hallway, according to Vernarelli. He was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital where he was pronounced dead before 8 p.m., the spokesman said.

Detectives from the state corrections' internal investigations unit do not suspect foul play but they will review the autopsy by the state medical examiner, Vernarelli said.

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