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Inmate death at Leavenworth federal prison was former Kansas City Chief

Junior Siavii
Posted at 3:14 PM, Jan 14, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-14 16:40:56-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A former Kansas City Chiefs player was pronounced dead Thursday after being found unresponsive in his cell at a federal prison in Leavenworth around 2:30 p.m.

Saousoalii "Junior" Siavii, 43, was transported to a local hospital by EMS after being found unresponsive and having life-saving measures preformed. He was pronounced dead by hospital staff, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

He was indicted on firearms-related offenses.

Siavii played for the Chiefs from 2004 to 2005. He was released in training camp in 2006 and needed surgery on his knee.

He returned to the NFL with Dallas in 2008-09 and Seattle in 2010, when a bruised spinal cord ended his career.

He was arrested for the firearms charges in 2019.

No one else was harmed and no other details have been provided at this time.

For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.