Lawyer: Man died in filthy jail cell, criminal probe needed

Apr 13, 2023, 2:11 PM

ATLANTA (AP) — A man being held in the psychiatric wing of a Georgia jail died in a filthy cell with a severe bedbug infestation after jail staff did nothing to address his deteriorating health, his family’s lawyer said Thursday.

The lawyer is requesting a criminal investigation.

Lashawn Thompson was arrested June 12 on a misdemeanor charge and was booked into the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, lawyer Michael Harper said during a news conference Thursday that was streamed online. Jail staff placed him in the psychiatric wing after determining he had “mental health issues,” Harper said, adding that Thompson had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Thompson died at the jail three months later.

“This was a deplorable situation. The cell he was in was not fit for a diseased animal,” Harper said, holding up a photos of a cell with a dirty toilet and trash strewn on the floor.

He called for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to open a criminal investigation into Thompson’s death and for the jail to be closed, noting that Sheriff Pat Labat has been calling for a new jail.

A spokesman for Willis said he could not comment on this particular case but said the district attorney’s office does investigate alleged crimes at the jail. In a statement released to WSB-TV, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office extended its condolences to Thompson’s family and said an investigation into his death is underway.

Records received through open records requests show that jail officers and medical staff “saw him deteriorating in the last few weeks before he died. They did nothing to help him,” Harper said

An Atlanta police officer who was called at 4:40 a.m. on Sept. 13 after jail staff found Thompson, 35, unresponsive in his cell tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him, according to a report from the county medical examiner released by Harper.

“There were no obvious signs of trauma found … The decedent’s body was covered in bed bugs,” the report says, listing his cause of death as “undetermined.”

“The ongoing investigation is examining details regarding the medical care provided and ultimately will determine whether any criminal charges are warranted in this case,” the sheriff’s office statement says. “The health, well-being and security of inmates in our care is our top priority. It’s no secret that the dilapidated and rapidly eroding conditions of the current facility make it incredibly difficult to meet the goal of providing a clean, well-maintained and healthy environment for all inmates and staff.”

For that reason, the sheriff has called for the construction of a new jail “which will provide an elite level of care, mental health services, security and cleanliness,” the statement says.

Immediate steps were taken as a result of the investigation, including the spending of $500,000 to address the infestation of “bed bugs, lice and other vermin,” cleaning operations to target communicable diseases and updating protocols for security rounds to include addressing sanitary conditions, according to the statement.

United States News

File - Apple CEO Tim Cook discusses the Apple Watch at the Apple event at the Bill Graham Civic Aud...

Associated Press

Apple is expected to unveil sleek headset aimed at thrusting the masses into alternate realities

Apple appears poised to unveil a long-rumored headset that will place its users between the virtual and real world, while also testing the technology trendsetter’s ability to popularize new-fangled devices after others failed to capture the public’s imagination. After years of speculation, the stage is set for the widely anticipated announcement to be made Monday […]

6 hours ago

FILE - A person, reflected in glass, walks near the Tropicana Las Vegas on May 16, 2023, in Las Veg...

Associated Press

Las Vegas ballpark pitch revives debate over public funding for sports stadiums

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Gov. Joe Lombardo wants to help build Major League Baseball’s smallest ballpark, arguing that the worst team in baseball can boost Las Vegas, a city striving to call itself a sports mecca. Debate about public funding for private sports clubs has been revived with the Oakland Athletics ballpark proposal. The […]

1 day ago

FILE - Coretta Scott King, widow of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., speaks at an ...

Associated Press

Carter and the Kings: A friendship and alliance — but after MLK’s assassination

ATLANTA (AP) — The voice of Martin Luther King Sr., a melodic tenor like his slain son, carried across Madison Square Garden, calming the raucous Democrats who had nominated his friend and fellow Georgian for the presidency. “Surely, the Lord sent Jimmy Carter to come on out and bring America back where she belongs,” the […]

1 day ago

Last seasons plant stalks are seen at Seth Jacobs' marijuana planting field at his Slack Hollow far...

Associated Press

Slow start to New York’s legal pot market leaves farmers holding the bag

ARGYLE, N.Y. (AP) — Seth Jacobs has about 100 bins packed with marijuana flower sitting in storage at his upstate New York farm. And that’s a problem. There aren’t enough places to sell it. The 700 pounds (318 kilograms) of pungent flower was harvested last year as part of New York’s first crop of legally […]

1 day ago

FILE - Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions con...

Associated Press

Wisconsin Republicans look for rebound, Democrats stay on offensive as 2024 fights loom

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin once again be a battleground. Democrats, recognizing that four of the past six presidential elections in the state have been decided by less than a percentage point, are trying not to become overconfident in the face of recent gains. They are gathering for their annual state convention starting June 10 […]

1 day ago

Associated Press

Michigan wildfire prompts evacuations, threatens multiple buildings

GRAYLING TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A wildfire in Michigan burned more than 1,000 acres (1.5 square miles) and prompted emergency evacuations and road closures Saturday, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The wildfire located within Grayling Township, about 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Grayling, is moving west and southwest and threatens multiple […]

1 day ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

(Desert Institute for Spine Care in Arizona Photo)...

Desert Institute for Spine Care in Arizona

5 common causes for chronic neck pain

Neck pain can debilitate one’s daily routine, yet 80% of people experience it in their lives and 20%-50% deal with it annually.

(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...

Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.

Lawyer: Man died in filthy jail cell, criminal probe needed