The family’s attorney asserts that Georgia inmate Lashawn Thompson was consumed by insects in his Atlanta jail cell while awaiting trial on a misdemeanor simple battery charge in June 2022.
The Thompson family has called for a full criminal investigation into Thompson’s death and the closure of the Fulton County Jail.
Georgia Prisoner Neglected to Die in a Cell
“People like him get neglected. His parents have passed away. No wife, no children. His family is not from Atlanta, so they were not here to keep up with him while he was there.
Harper stated that Thompson was placed in the psychiatric wing of the jail after officials determined he had schizophrenia. The lawyer published several graphic images of Thompson and the filth he allegedly died in at the detention facility in a press release on Wednesday.
“The family approved photographs demonstrating that Mr. Thompson’s jail cell was unfit for a deceased animal,” wrote Harper. “He was not deserving of this. Someone must bear responsibility for his death. The Fulton County Jail should be closed down and replaced.
Three months after his placement in the psychiatric wing, Thompson was “discovered in a filthy jail cell after being devoured by insects and bedbugs,” according to the press release.
Overcrowding Issues at the Jail
While Thompson was still alive, detention officers and medical staff at the jail apparently observed his deterioration, including an infestation of bedbugs and lice on his torso, but did nothing to assist him.
Harper alleged that there were plans to transfer Thompson to another unit of the jail, but those plans never materialized because Thompson was found dead in his cell.
They literally witnessed his health decline until his death. When his body was discovered, one of the detention officers refused to perform CPR because, in her words, she “lost it.” “Harper authored a press release.
On Thursday afternoon, Thompson’s family is expected to speak at a press conference.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office failed to respond immediately.
Due to overcrowding, Sheriff Pat Labat has advocated for a new detention facility that researchers estimate could cost up to $2 billion.
In February, Labat stated, “Today, nearly 600 inmates sleep on the floor, and the jail is held together with duct tape and bubble gum.” “We must improve the environment if people are inventive enough to begin stripping the wires from some outlets and using the materials to build and manufacture their own knives.”
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