An Inmate with Sepsis Begged for Help for 20 Hours Before Dying

Medical neglect seems apparent when an inmate died of sepsis in a county jail outside Texas. Video and audio evidence has emerged showing that over the course of 20 hours, he pleaded for help. To make the case even more egregious, there is audio that seems to capture jail staff mocking the inmate as he lay in that cell dying.

At one point, the inmate told the nurse his legs were going numb and turning black. The nurse’s response was to yell at him, saying to shut up, that nothing was wrong, and that the emergency medical services had already checked him out previously. A detention officer taunted him after this, asking if he was paralyzed now and laughing at him.

When the jail finally sent him to the hospital, he died one hour later. The conclusion of the medical examiner was that the inmate had acute pneumonia and died from sepsis.

This man turned himself into jail to serve time for his DUI. He died needlessly because all that was needed if he had received medical treatment, was antibiotics to deal with the infection.

Because sepsis is preventable medical neglect in jail is a reasonable conclusion. Inmates have a right to receive medical care. Being in jail should not be a death sentence.

Learn more in Part 1 of this continuing series.

Helping Texas jail detainees and their families with resources is one of the purposes of this website. There is no intention of suggesting that people or organizations have been involved in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor