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Family reeling over how woman got gun in jail, committed suicide

Posted at 6:23 AM, Mar 27, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-27 10:40:36-04

PAWNEE, Okla. — Months after a woman killed herself in jail, her family is still wondering how it happened.

Brittany Weide, 26, died inside the Pawnee County Jail on July 24. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation ruled her death a suicide.

"Knowing if she hadn't of gotten into that jail with that gun, she would still be here," Weide's aunt, Tammy Tubbs, said.

Weide was a mother of two. Her aunt said she was also battling addiction but had plans to get help the week after her death.

She was arrested for public intoxication in Downtown Pawnee steps away from the jail. Pawnee County Sheriff Mike Waters said she was sleeping on a bench.

Sheriff Waters said she was patted down by female officers.

"The officer says she was trying to hit her with her head, being uncooperative. at that point we chose not to dress her out at that point," Sheriff Waters said.

She was left in the leggings she had on and put into a detox cell. Sheriff Waters said she told deputies she had meth in her system.

In video of Weide being walked into jail, she appears to be in pain.

The detox cells, where Weide was held, has cameras that are live streamed to the jail staff's desk.

Sheriff Waters said it was not until the staff delivered lunch that they realized something had gone horribly wrong.

"When she unlocks the door, the lady didn't move, so she walks in and when she goes to pull the blanket she noticed blood on the chest," Sheriff Waters said.

Weide was pronounced dead inside the jail. The sheriff said they found a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson gun in her lap.

Sheriff Waters said the staff did not hear the gunshot because there was a commotion in the jail.

"Had it been a drug overdose, I could understand that, but this..." Tubbs said crying. "I immediately come back and I'm like 'O.K., what happened?'"

Sheriff Waters believes she concealed the gun inside her body.

"It was just a little smaller than this. Not much," Sheriff Waters said showing his police weapon.

He believes the pain she appeared to be in when she was being escorted into jail was because she concealing the gun.

"They also did a secondary search in the jail," Sheriff Waters said. "That's the only place that was possible that could have been."

When Weide's family watched the video, they thought she grimaced because her wrists hurt from the handcuffs.

"There's no way she could have got a gun that size up inside her," Tubbs said. "They didn't do their job."

OSBI cleared the Pawnee County Sheriff's Office of any wrongdoing.

Sheriff Waters said the gun Weide used was found to be stolen out of Stillwater the day before.

When asked if he thought his staff could have done anything else, he said, "Honestly no, I don't."

The 26-year old's family said they are having a hard time comprehending exactly how this played out.

"I realize nothing will bring Brittany back," Tubbs said. "I realize this, but there's got to be some kind of justice somewhere. Some accountability."

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