Man arrested after Berkeley murder dies in Santa Rita prison

DUBLIN, California. – A 57-year-old man arrested on suspicion of a murder in Berkeley has died in the Santa Rita Jail, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday.

Steve Addison of Oakland died around 1:50 a.m. Tuesday after a deputy noticed what appeared to be a medical emergency and he had been suffering from difficulty breathing and speaking the day before, a news release said.

Officers and Wellpath medical staff took him to the trauma room and he was then transported to a hospital.

The sheriff's office said Santa Rita Jail staff contacted Addison's family to inform them of what happened and to arrange a hospital visit for her.

Addison had been in the Santa Rita Jail for about six weeks; he was placed in a therapeutic housing unit on Aug. 1, the sheriff said.

Berkeley police said Addison allegedly shot someone in the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way on July 3 and was charged with murder. Police did not release much more about that killing.

The sheriff's office said Addison was known to have suffered from health problems in the past.

The exact cause of death will be determined by the coroner.

According to data compiled by KTVU, Addison is the third person to die in custody at the Santa Rita Jail and the 71st since 2014.