WASHINGTON – A Maryland man who police say wielded a Taser in the assault of a D.C. woman earlier this month has been found dead in his jail cell.
The D.C. Department of Corrections issued a statement saying security staff at the D.C. Jail found Paul Mannina unresponsive on his bunk at around 3:43 a.m. Tuesday. Both jail medical personnel and workers with the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded, but Mannina was pronounced dead at the scene.
His cause of death is under investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Mannina, 58, had been in jail since last week. He was charged with attacking a co-worker at her Northwest Washington home. According to court documents, the woman told police Mannina had a “crush” on her and that he used a stun gun on her during the attack. He was charged with first-degree burglary while armed and third-degree sexual abuse.
Mannina worked at the Labor Department’s Division of Plan Benefits Security.
Mike McAuliffe, Mannina’s attorney, spoke exclusively with WTOP today. He argued unsuccessfully at a hearing in D.C. Superior Court yesterday that his client was unfit to remain behind bars. The man was found dead hours later.
“I thought he needed mental help,” McAuliffe says. “He’s never been in any trouble before and he’s not a danger to the community…It’s horribly sad”
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
