Man 'eaten alive' by bed bugs in Atlanta jail - family
BBC, April 15, 2023: Man 'eaten alive' by bed bugs in Atlanta jail - family
“Lashawn Thompson was jailed on a misdemeanour and placed in the Fulton County Jail psychiatric wing after officials judged him mentally ill.
“Family attorney Michael D Harper released photos showing Mr Thompson's body riddled with bugs.
“He is calling for a criminal investigation and told reporters a lawsuit is pending.
“‘Mr Thompson was found dead in a filthy jail cell after being eaten alive by insects and bed bugs,’ Mr Harper said in a statement. ‘The jail cell Mr Thompson was housed in was not fit for a diseased animal. He did not deserve this.’
“According to a Fulton County Medical Examiner's report, Mr Thompson was found unresponsive in his jail cell on 19 September - three months after his arrest - and pronounced dead following attempts by local police and medical personnel to resuscitate him, according to USA Today.
“Mr Harper says jail records show detention officers and medical staff noticed Mr Thompson was deteriorating but did nothing to administer aid or otherwise help him, the BBC's US media partner CBS News reported.”
Additional reading:
CNN, April 18, 2023: Fulton County, Georgia, jail leadership resigns after inmate’s death and accusations of unsanitary conditions
The Appeal, November 17, 2022: Internal Report Details Severely Malnourished Detainees at Atlanta-Area Jail
ACLU Georgia, October 12, 2022: Fulton County Can Reduce Jail Overcrowding without Leasing Additional Jail Space
