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Muskegon prosecutors asks AG to investigate inmate death

Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson has asked the office of the state's attorney general to investigate the April 2019 death of a county jail inmate.
Credit: Courtesy of Muskegon County Sheriff's Office / Facebook
The exterior of the Muskegon County Jail.

The death of a Muskegon County Jail inmate may be under investigation by the Attorney General's office. 

On Monday, August 19 Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson asked the office of Attorney General Dana Nessel to review investigative reports related to the April 4, 2019 death of Muskegon County Jail inmate Paul Bulthouse.

Bulthouse died in custody and Muskegon County Sheriff Michael Poulin, who runs the jail, closed an initial investigation into the death back in May and reopened it less than three weeks later.

Hilson chose to disqualify himself and his office from the investigation because of the close working relationship between his office and Sheriff Poulin. 

“In this situation I appreciate an independent agency looking at the investigative reports to determine whether or not criminal charges should be filed,” said Hilson.  “I appreciate the Attorney General’s Office taking a serious look at this unfortunate situation.”

Bulthouse was taken to the jail for a probation violation and placed in a detox cell. He was alone in the cell and was supposed to be monitored by jail staff. His death was caused by a prolonged seizure. 

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