UPDATE: Deceased Elkhart County inmate identified, investigation ongoing

UPDATE: The Elkhart County Coroner’s Office has identified the deceased Elkhart County Correctional Facility inmate as 39-year-old Thomas Ricke.

The coroner's office has completed the autopsy, with the cause of death pending toxicology studies.

The manner of death is also pending. The investigation remains active.

Ricke had a pending case regarding Battery Against a Public Safety Official, a Level 6 Felony, according to Elkhart County court records.

Court documents state on Oct. 25, 2024, an officer of the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office was in full uniform on duty at the Elkhart County Correctional Facility when he was processing an inmate out of the facility.

At the same time, that's when authorities say another inmate, identified as Ricke, began to yell at the officer.

Documents go on to state the officer told Ricke to stay back, but instead, he grabbed at the officer's glasses.

Authorities say the officer pushed Ricke back and continued to tell him to stay back, when Ricke struck the officer in the head two times and grabbed his hair.

ORIGINAL: ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- On Sunday morning at 7am, Elkhart County deputies identified an unresponsive inmate housed in medical at the Elkhart County Corrections Complex.

Corrections staff immediately began CPR and an ambulance was requested.

When Concord medics arrived on scene, they determined that the inmate was deceased. Identification of the inmate is pending notification of the next of kin.

The Elkhart County Homicide Unit and the Elkhart County Coroner are investigating the death.