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An inmate named Lashawn Thompson was found dead in a cell of Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail in 2022. According to Thompson’s family, when authorities found him, he was in a very unsanitary and deplorable condition. The cell was bug-infested and loads of bed bugs and insects eating him were found as well. The family is now asking for an investigation into Lashawn's death.
The family's attorney, Michael Harper, stated that they are now asking for a thorough criminal investigation into Thompson’s death. Harper said that Lashawn Thompson was arrested in June 2022, and was then taken to Fulton County Jail. However, due to his existing mental health issues, Thompson was placed in the psychiatric unit.
Around three months later, he was found dead in a deplorable state. Harper also claimed that although medical staff and jail authorities knew that his condition was deteriorating, they did not help him get better.
The cause of Lashawn Thompson's death is yet to be revealed.
A Fulton County Jail inmate Lashawn Thompson was found dead in a cell covered in bugs
A Fulton County Jail inmate was found dead inside his bug-infested cell. The inmate was identified as 35-year-old Lashawn Thompson, who was arrested that summer for misdemeanor simple battery.
Lashawn Thompson was found unresponsive and later declared dead on September 19, 2022. Local authorities tried administering life-saving measures on Thompson, but, he did not respond.
According to a report generated on October 26, 2022, an officer from the jail said that it was unknown the last time Lashawn was seen alive. The coroner who examined Lashawn Thompson’s body also stated that there were no obvious signs of trauma.
According to attorney Harper, Lashawn's family's lawyer, they are asking for a criminal investigation into his death. The attorney added that they are also asking for the jail to be shut down as the cells "are horrible and not fit for an animal."
Harper noted that Thompson hadn't even been convicted of his crimes when he passed away. Lashawn was being held in prison until his trial day.
He further said:
“Mr. Thompson was found dead in a filthy jail cell after being eaten alive by insects and bed bugs.”
Harper confirmed that a lawsuit is currently pending in this case. The attorney also stated that Lashawn Thompson’s death has been one of the most “inhumane” deaths that he has ever seen. Harper continued by saying that the situation was so horrific that it freaked out the detention officer to the point that she couldn't even administer CPR.
According to Thompson’s family, they arranged for medical records from the jail. The records allegedly concluded that the medical staff at the jail, and the detention officer, knew that Lashawn Thompson’s condition was worsening. However, they did not take sufficient action.
A statement read,
“They literally watched his health decline until he died. Where Mr. Thompson was housed was not fit for a diseased animal. He did not deserve this. Someone has to be held accountable for his death.”
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office stated that the reason behind Lashawn Thompson’s death was ‘undetermined.’ Another report from November stated:
“According to documents obtained through an open records request, medical professionals brought in to assess the September outbreak found that 100 percent of the people held in one unit had either lice, scabies and or both.”
The horrific condition of the overcrowded jails has been described to be a “humanitarian crisis”
Several disturbing images describing Lashawn Thompson’s jail cell’s condition have revealed how dirty and unsanitary they were. It was also found that there was a “severe bed bug infestation.”
Last year, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat addressed the problems of overcrowding in the jail, and that they were in urgent need of funds. He said,
“He (Lashawn Thompson) did not deserve this. Someone has to be held accountable for his death. The Fulton County Jail must be closed and replaced.”
In a meeting with the Fulton County Commission, he said,
“You have 3,500 plus points of data that show the dangers of where we are and the crisis that we’re in.”
Labat revealed that the jail’s population was 3,600, however, in the past two years, 1,400 new inmates were booked there. As many as 428 inmates had to sleep on the floor due to extreme overcrowding. One of the city’s commissioners, Bob Ellis, described the tragic and horrific situation to be a “humanitarian crisis.”
Sheriff Labat stated that the jail cells were in “dilapidated and rapidly eroding conditions.” Labat also acknowledged the idea of building a new jail. An amount of $27 million has been offered for providing mental and physical health services for the inmates. Labat has, however, asked for an additional $6 million to deal with several other issues.
The case is currently under investigation. Law enforcement officials are investigating whether sufficient medical care was provided to Thompson, or whether he died of immense neglect by the jail authorities.
