Timeline: Harford Inmate’s Medical Emergencies Before Death

A Harford County Detention Center inmate died Saturday while being treated at a local hospital after multiple cardiac-related emergency visits over two weeks.

What’s Happening: The Harford County Sheriff’s Office said George Kenney died at the hospital from a cardiac event after several medical emergencies that started inside the detention center. The sheriff’s office said detectives are handling the inquiry, and a preliminary investigation indicates the death was from natural causes.

What’s Important: The sheriff’s office said Kenney was 69 and lived in Bel Air. He was booked into the Harford County Detention Center on Nov. 1, to serve an 18-month court-imposed sentence related to Driving While Impaired stemming from charges on Aug. 11.

The Timeline:

• Dec. 16, 2025: The sheriff’s office said Kenney had a cardiac-related medical emergency while housed with other inmates. It said inmates alerted correctional deputies, who responded with contractual medical staff, began lifesaving efforts including CPR, and reestablished a pulse before Harford County Department of Emergency Services providers transported him to a local hospital.
• Dec. 20, 2025: The sheriff’s office said Kenney returned to the detention center four days after treatment, then had a second cardiac emergency about five and a half hours later. It said correctional deputies and medical staff gave lifesaving care before medics took him to a local hospital, where the sheriff’s office said he was alert and conscious.
• Dec. 27, 2025: The sheriff’s office said Kenney had a third cardiac medical emergency while hospitalized the second time and died that day.

The sheriff’s office said detectives with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division assumed the inquiry into Kenney’s death. It said investigators from the Forensic Services Unit responded to the hospital to support detectives.

Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler said, “Individuals in our custody are often among the most medically compromised members of our community, and we take seriously our responsibility to safeguard their well-being. In this case, our Correctional Deputies and contracted medical staff acted quickly and professionally during multiple medical emergencies at the Detention Center, doing everything they could to save Mr. Kenney’s life. Ultimately, Mr. Kenney’s medical condition was not survivable; I am proud of their efforts and their commitment to the safety and care of every person entrusted to our custody.”

The sheriff’s office said no further information was available.