EDENTON — A man died Friday, Jan. 30, at the Chowan County Detention Center following a medical emergency on what was his 34th birthday, prompting an investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
John Ries was found unresponsive in his single-occupancy cell around 4:10 p.m. Jan. 30, according to a statement from the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office. Detention officers immediately requested emergency medical services and began life-saving measures, including CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator.
Deputies and emergency medical personnel continued resuscitation efforts upon their arrival, but Ries was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.
“Sheriff Edward ‘Scooter’ Basnight and the members of the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Ries,” the release stated.
In accordance with standard protocol for in-custody deaths, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was immediately notified and has launched an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ries’ death.
The sheriff’s office said, “If additional information becomes available, it will be released as warranted.”
Worth noting, Ries’ death came a little over one month after an inmate broke out of the center, located at the intersection of East Church and Court streets.
Recent Arrest and Charges
Court documents show Ries had been arrested just one day prior to his death by the Edenton Police Department on Jan. 29. According to the arrest warrant, Ries was charged with breaking and entering with the intent to terrorize or injure, a felony offense.
The warrant alleges that Ries unlawfully broke into an apartment on Chowan Court with the intent to terrorize the occupant. Ries was a resident at the same apartment complex, but lived in a different apartment from the alleged victim. No bond was set.
On Nov. 2, 2022, a Wake County District Court issued an order for his arrest for not appearing in court for a case in which he was charged with assault on a female and resisting an officer. The Edenton Police Department arrested him on Aug. 27, 2024, on the warrant. In relation to that arrest, he was charged with one count of Resisting a Public Officer. The case was disposed.
On Oct. 3, 2025, he was charged with resisting a public officer and assaulting a government official after Edenton Police responded to a call requesting that he be removed from an apartment in Chowan Court. That case was also disposed.
Chowan Sheriff’s Office thanked Chowan County EMS, the Edenton Police Department, the Edenton Fire Department, and detention staff for their prompt response to the emergency. Officials said additional information will be released as the investigation progresses and as warranted.
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