An Atlanta man arrested for a misdemeanor battery charge was found dead in his cell prison infested by bed bugs, according to his family and a coroner’s report. He was placed in the psychiatric wing of the Fulton County Jail after authorities determined he was mentally ill. The man’s family claims that he was eaten alive by bed bugs inside the Atlanta prison, but who is he? Read on to find out more.
Who is the Atlanta man “eaten alive” by bed bugs inside his cell prison?
LaShawn Thompson was a 35-year-old man arrested in Atlanta on June 12, 2022. The charges against him were a misdemeanor simple battery and he was taken to Fulton County Jail. After he was checked in jail, the officials determined he was mentally ill. Because of this, authorities decided to put him in the psychiatric wing of the Fulton County Jail. According to the family’s attorney, Thompson had a history of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
According to a report obtained by USA TODAY, Thompson’s entire body was riddled with multiple sores and bites. They believe that these were from the many bed bugs that were also found on Thompson’s body. In the report, authorities also indicated that the Atlanta man’s cell in the psychiatric ward had a severe bed bug infestation.
Thompson passed away on September 19, 2022. Local police and medical personnel failed to revive him after he was found unresponsive in his jail cell. As of writing, the report does not explicitly state the Atlanta man’s cause of death.
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A lawsuit against the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is ‘pending’
In response to everything that has happened, a lawsuit from the Atlanta man’s family is pending. The lawsuit claims that the authorities held Thompson in a filthy jail cell. Despite the jail staff being aware of the current conditions of their facilities, they did nothing.
- The lawsuit also claims that medical personnel noticed Thompson’s health deteriorating over time. However, they did nothing to help him.
- The Fulton County Jail also violated Thompson’s rights. Aside from not providing the adequate medical care needed, they also fell short on upholding the sanitation and safety of their facilities.
- Michael D. Harper, the family’s lawyer, also revealed that they are asking for a criminal investigation into the matter. This investigation will most likely have major changes to the Fulton County Jail and hopefully prevent unfortunate incidents like this in the future.
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Fulton County Sheriff vows to address the problems with their facilities
According to a statement provided to USA TODAY, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office reveals that they have already launched a full investigation into the matter.
- They will be using $500,000 in order to address the many infestations in the Fulton County Jail. Some of the infestations plaguing the facilities are “bed bugs, lice, and other vermin within the jail.”
- The Sheriff’s Office will also updating and improving their protocols in order to properly address the jail’s sanitary conditions.
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Atlanta man’s death could have been preventable
The family’s lawyer, Michael D. Harper, says that LaShawn Thompson’s death could have been preventable. He also did not deserve to die the way he did and that someone has to be held accountable. According to the report, one of the medical personnel who was supposed to administer CPR refused to do so because they freaked out.
Harper also calls for the jail to be closed and replaced by better facilities in order to avoid incidents like this from happening in the future. Thompson was housed in a prison cell “not fit for a diseased animal. He did not deserve this,” Harper said.
As of writing, the investigation is still on-going. Hopefully, this will serve as a wake-up call for authorities to uphold standards to their facilities and prevent deaths like this from happening again.
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We offer our sincerest condolences to LaShawn Thompson’s family. If you have something you’d like to share regarding this, feel free to leave it in the comments below. For more content, stay with us, here at Spiel Times.
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