The household of Lashawn Thompson is looking for a legal investigation after he died in Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail. They declare Lashawn was “eaten alive by insects and bed bugs.”
The household’s legal professional, Michael Harper, defined the scenario in an announcement launched on social media.
Last 12 months, police arrested Thompson on June 12 on a easy misdemeanor battery cost. Authorities reportedly positioned Lashawn within the jail’s psychiatric wing for unspecified psychological well being points.
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Within three months, Harper says, Lashawn “was found dead in a filthy jail cell after being eaten alive by insects and bed bugs.”
Photos Show Lashawn Thompson’s Bug-Ridden Body And ‘Filthy Jail Cell’
Harper additionally revealed graphic photographs of Lashawn with what seems to be bugs throughout his face and inside his mouth. In one other shot, black and brown specks cowl Thompson’s torso, neck, and skinny arms. His abdomen seems sunken with wrinkled pores and skin and a darker hue.
“The family-approved photographs attached to this release show that the jail cell Mr. Thompson was housed in was not fit for a diseased animal. He did not deserve this,” Harper’s assertion mentioned.
Two extra photographs present the jail cell’s situation, which appears like a scene from an deserted website. Rust and chipped paint lined the mattress body and desk within the cell. Dirt and dirt cowl the mattress-less body and desk cubby holes. Meanwhile, the ground seems filthy–lined in dark-colored blotches, items of paper, a sandal, and a few garments.
The rest room seat is roofed in additional grime–unclear if it’s feces-based, however the bowl water additionally had brown and tan residue. A grimy mattress with a white tarp-looking unfold was positioned close to the cell’s entrance. The ground close to the bathroom, sink, and mattress additionally seems dingy–disguising the ground’s grayish colour as darkish brown.
TRIGGER WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS AHEAD
Family Attorney Says Jail Staff ‘Did Nothing’ To Help Lashawn Thompson
Family lawyer Harper additionally revealed that jail data present workers had been aware about Thompson’s ‘deteriorating’ situation however didn’t act.
Harper’s assertion mentioned:
“Jail records obtained via GA Open Records Requests establish that the detention offices and medical staff at the Jail noticed that Mr. Thompson was deteriorating but did nothing to administer aid to him or to help him. They literally watched his health decline until he died.”
When the detention officers discovered Thompson’s physique, Harper says, certainly one of them “refused to administer CPR.” The officer reportedly mentioned she “freaked out.”
Last September, the Fulton County Commission agreed to resume a $27 million contract for “physical and mental health services for inmates,” per CBS Atlanta. But, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat requested for an extra $6 million to handle worker retention, extra time, and overcrowding points.
At the time, Sheriff Labat revealed the Fulton County Jail had 3,600 inmates. The inhabitants had elevated by 1,400 during the last two years. Of the three,600, 428 inmates had been reportedly sleeping on the ground. He additionally revealed that detention officers discover a whole bunch of weapons within the jail day by day and deal with frequent inmate stabbings.
“You have 3,500-plus points of data that show the dangers of where we are and the crisis that we’re in,” Sheriff Labat mentioned.
According to Harper, Thompson’s household needs “someone” to be “held accountable” for his or her relative’s loss of life.
“The Fulton County Jail must be closed and replaced,” Harper’s assertion mentioned.