California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials are investigating the April 26th, death of an incarcerated person at High Desert State Prison as a homicide.
At approximately 10:20a.m., according to details released by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, inmate Rodger Brown allegedly attacked another incarcerated person, William Couste, on the yard.
Officers immediately initiated life-saving measures on Couste and activated 911. Couste was taken to the prison’s triage and treatment area where he was pronounced deceased by medical staff at 10:49 a.m. No staff or additional incarcerated people were injured.
One improvised weapon was recovered at the scene.
Brown was moved to restricted housing pending investigation into this case. The HDSP Investigative Services Unit and the Lassen County District Attorney’s Office are conducting investigations into this incident. The Office of the Inspector General has been notified, and the Lassen County Coroner will determine Couste’s official cause of death.
