A man has died while in Cape Girardeau Police custody. The Cape Girardeau Police Department said Coroner John Clifton and the Missouri Highway Patrol are investigating the death of Lawrence Adolph Thompson, III, 55, of Cape Girardeau.

Police arrested Thompson for driving while intoxicated, after he was involved in a motor vehicle accident. The man was in a holding cell, and showed no signs of being a suicide risk so officers followed standard arrestee procedure, said Sergeant Barry Hovis with the Cape Girardeau Police.

"We’re required to do hourly prisoner counts and under this particular incident if the jailer is not present, then it’s the duties of the station commander or an officer designee to do the hourly checks," he said. "At 3:50 a.m., he was fine at 4:28 a.m., 38 minutes later is when he was located hanging in the cell."

Autopsy results are expected to be released some time this week. A coroner’s inquest is set for September 22 nd at 6 p.m.