An attorney for the victim’s family claims that a 35-year-old man was “eaten alive” by insects and bed bugs inside a detention cell in Atlanta, Georgia, before dying there. According to the New York Post, his family is now requesting both the closure and replacement of the facility as well as a criminal probe into his death
LaShawn Thompson was detained by Atlanta police on June 12, 2022, on suspicion of battery, according to the authorities. He was then taken to the Fulton County Jail where he was placed in the psychiatric wing after officials determined he was mentally ill. On September 13, 2022, Mr. Thompson was found unresponsive in his jail cell and pronounced dead after failed CPR attempts.
”Mr. Thompson was eaten alive by vermin and bed bugs three months later when he was discovered dead in a squalid detention cell. One of the jail officers declined to do CPR when his body was discovered because, in her words, she “freaked out.” Mr. Thompson was kept in a detention cell that was unfit for a sick animal. This was not fair to him. According to Michael D. Harper, an attorney for Mr. Thompson’s family, “Someone has to be held accountable for his death.”
He mentioned the filthy conditions at the Fulton County Jail as justification for his demise. In addition, he claimed that inmates failed to assist Mr. Thompson despite noticing that he was “deteriorating” in the jail.
Mr. Thompson’s body and the horrifying and unhygienic circumstances of his cell, which is coated in mud and scattered with rubbish, can be seen in photos taken inside the jail.
No apparent traces of physical trauma were found on his body, according to a county medical examiner’s report; nonetheless, a “severe bed bug infestation” was noticed, as reported by news. However, it was noted that the reason of death was unknown..
No overt indications of trauma were discovered on the decedent’s body. According to the medical examiner’s findings, bed bugs had crawled all over the deceased’s body.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office stated it opened a “full investigation” into Thompson’s death in a written statement to Channel News. The sheriff added that “immediate actions” were being taken in the jail, including investing $500,000 to deal with bed bug, lice, and other vermin infestations and modernising security round protocol.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that it is “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.”
The statement said, “The ongoing investigation is examining specifics regarding the medical care provided and will ultimately determine whether any criminal charges are justified in this case.”
According to Michael Potter, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky, “Bed bug bites are typically not fatal, but in some rare cases, prolonged exposure to a massive bed bug infestation can cause severe anaemia, which can be lethal if left untreated.” “Bed bugs feed on blood and very large numbers of bed bugs feed on very large amounts of blood,” said Mr. Potter.
