An attorney for the victim’s family claims that a 35-year-old man from Atlanta, Georgia, died in a detention cell after being “eaten alive” by insects and bed bugs.
New York Post reports that his family is now calling for both the closure and replacement of the facility as well as a criminal probe into his passing.
A man died after being ‘eaten alive’ by bed bugs in a US jail.
LaShawn Thompson was detained in Atlanta on June 12, 2022, according to the police, on suspicion of battery. Once it was confirmed that he was mentally ill, he was then transferred to the Fulton County Jail and put in the psychiatric ward. On September 13, 2022, Mr. Thompson was discovered unconscious in his detention cell. After unsuccessful CPR attempts, he was later declared dead.
”Three months later Mr. Thompson was found dead in a filthy jail cell after being eaten alive by insects and bed bugs. When his body was found one of the detention officers refused to administer CPR because in her words she ‘freaked out.’ The jail cell Mr. Thompson was housed in was not fit for a diseased animal. He did not deserve this. Someone has to be held accountable for his death,” Michael D. Harper, an attorney for Mr. Thompson’s family said.
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 USA Today. However, it was noted that the reason for death was unknown.
”There were no obvious signs of trauma found about the decedent’s body. The decedent’s body was covered in bed bugs,” the medical examiner’s report said.
In a written statement to Channel 2 Action News, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said it launched a “full investigation” into Thompson’s death. The sheriff also said officials were taking “immediate actions” in the jail including, spending $500,000 to address the infestation of bed bugs, lice, and other vermin, and updating protocols for security rounds.
“It’s 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 Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“The ongoing investigation is examining details regarding the medical care provided and ultimately will determine whether any criminal charges are warranted in this case,” the statement added.
”Bed bug bites are not usually deadly, but in some rare cases, prolonged exposure to a massive bed bug infestation can cause severe anemia, which can be lethal if left untreated”, Michael Potter, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky told BBC. “Bed bugs feed on blood and very large numbers of bed bugs feed on very large amounts of blood,” Mr. Potter said.
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