A Columbia woman who collapsed at the Lexington County Detention Center after her arrest last week died Saturday following a brief hospitalization, according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher.
The coroner identified the woman as 38-year-old Aisha Jamilah Abdul-Khaliq.
“We extend our condolences to Ms. Abdul Khaliq’s family members as they deal with her passing,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “Work is underway to determine what led to her death. As is standard procedure when a person dies in the custody of a law enforcement agency, SLED has come in and begun a thorough investigation.”
Koon said Abdul-Khaliq collapsed while being booked into the detention center Nov. 1 and remained in custody after being transported and admitted to the hospital for treatment.
Preliminary screenings of Abdul-Khaliq’s urine and blood taken during her hospital stay indicate the presence of illegal narcotics in her system at the time of her arrest, according to Fisher. Final results are pending.
Abdul-Khaliq was arrested on Berryhill Road and charged with public disorderly conduct after arriving at the scene of a traffic stop to attempt to pick up a child, according to Koon. Deputies physically restrained Abdul-Khaliq after she failed to comply with their commands.
“Lexington County EMS treated Ms. Abdul-Khaliq for a minor leg injury she sustained during the physical altercation,” Koon said. “Ms. Abdul-Khaliq refused additional EMS care and she was subsequently released by EMS personnel. A deputy took her to jail, where she collapsed a short time later.”