Fulton County, Georgia, jail leadership resigns after inmate’s death and accusations of unsanitary conditions
CNN
—
Three Fulton County, Ga., officials resign in one case investigation Family says inmate dies Placement In a filthy, bedbug-infested cell, it’s “unfit for a sick animal.”
A statement from the Sheriff’s Office said the chief jail warden and two assistant chief jail wardens at the Fulton County Jail were asked by Sheriff Patrick “Pat” during an executive staff meeting over the weekend. Submitted his resignation.
Rabat is in Monday statement Announcing “substantial changes” to the facility.
The resignation comes as the family of Lashawn Thompson calls for a criminal investigation into his September 2022 death at an Atlanta jail and the construction of a new facility.
Thompson’s family said his death was the result of unsanitary conditions at the prison, as well as complications from insect bites. “The cells he was in were not suitable for the sick animal. This is inexcusable and regrettable.
“The manner and cause of death are listed as ‘undetermined’ by the County Medical Examiner. The circumstances surrounding Mr. Thompson’s death are being fully investigated,” the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. statement Thursday.
The statement said that due to health privacy regulations, the Sheriff’s Office was unable to share any information about Thompson’s medical condition at the time of his arrest “or what decisions he had made regarding his right to receive or refuse medical care.”
Rabat asked for the prison officials’ resignation after reviewing preliminary evidence collected during an internal investigation, he said in a statement Monday.
“Collectively, the executive team that is in place has over 65 years of prison management and law enforcement experience. When harnessed at its best, this experience can be invaluable. However, it can also lend itself to complacency, stagnation and Address the status quo,” the statement read.
Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office is “reviewing all legal options to change medical providers and enter into new contracts with providers that provide the best standard of care effectively, consistently, and compassionately.”
On Friday, the Sheriff’s Office said it had taken “several immediate actions,” including $500,000 in emergency funding “to address an infestation of bed bugs, lice and other pests at the jail.” The Sheriff’s Office said the process of transferring more than 600 inmates to other counties “to alleviate overcrowding has an average cost of approximately $40,000 per day.”
Thompson had been in jail for about three months before his death and was placed in a psychiatric facility because he suffered from mental health issues, Harper said. He was taken into custody on a misdemeanor assault charge.
The 35-year-old was born in Winter Haven, Florida and had lived in Atlanta in recent years, his brother Brad McCrae said at a news conference. McClay said Thompson enjoyed listening to music and cooking.
When asked by reporters what he thought when he saw the images of his brother’s body and the conditions in his cell, McCray said: “It’s heartbreaking because no one should see that. No one should see that. But the first thing that came to my mind was one thing is Emmett Till“.
The Atlanta Police Department, the responding agency, is conducting an Office of Internal Investigations investigation into the incident, the Sheriff’s Office said Monday. “Upon completion of these investigations, the complete investigative package will be turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for review,” the statement said.
“The final investigative report will not ease the family’s grief or bring their loved ones back, but it is my hope and expectation that it provides a full, accurate and transparent accounting of the facts of Mr. Thompson’s death that they are seeking and deserve.” Rabat said in a statement.
