Denver sheriff’s deputy Justin Parchem has been hit with a 30-day suspension after an internal review found he was watching television on duty when an inmate overdosed at the downtown detention center in the early hours of May 31, 2024. A disciplinary letter released on Jan. 2, 2026, says the delay in noticing the emergency may have slowed life-saving efforts for 36-year-old Michael Blume, who was pronounced dead at about 1:00 a.m. The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner concluded Blume died from the toxic effects of fentanyl.
What Investigators Say Happened
According to an internal affairs disciplinary letter cited by The Denver Post, Parchem admitted he was watching television on his jail computer and “did not immediately notice the inmates’ unusual activities,” a lapse investigators say may have delayed the emergency call.
The letter states that around 12:22 a.m., after several inmates had already tried to revive Blume by splashing him with water and bringing buckets and a mop, Parchem walked to Blume’s bunk and then radioed for a medical emergency. Investigators wrote that Parchem and others began CPR and that Parchem administered naloxone before EMTs arrived at about 12:31 a.m.
Medical Timeline And Cause Of Death…