*The former commander of the Milwaukee County Jail and two other jail staffers were charged Monday in connection with the April 2016 dehydration death of inmate Terrill Thomas, with the complaint saying guards “abandoned” him in solitary confinement to die.
Court records show Jail Lt. Kashka Meadors, 40, ordered that the water be shut off in Thomas’s cell, while correctional officer James Ramsey-Guy, 38, cut off all water to the cell, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Meadors and Ramsey-Guy each are facing a felony charge of neglecting an inmate.
Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Maj. Nancy Evans, 48, faces a felony charge of misconduct in office and obstructing an officer, the Journal-Sentinel reports. She is accused of not preserving video footage of the water being turned off and failing to tell investigators about the existence of the footage.
All three appeared in court Monday and remain free on bond. They are due back in court March 2 for a preliminary hearing. The trio were also suspended with pay Monday and Acting Sheriff Richard Schmidt said discipline would be handed down Friday, Feb. 16. Prior to Monday all three were on administrative duty and did not have contact with jail inmates, Schmidt said.
Court documents show that Thomas, a 38-year-old with bipolar disorder, was arrested and charged in April 2016 after he ran into the Potawatomi casino with a Glock 9mm handgun, yelling and ordering patrons to “get out.” He fired two rounds and stuffed poker chips into his pockets. Confronted by police, he dropped the gun into a trash can and was arrested. His family said they believe he was having a psychotic episode. The case was dismissed following his death.
After he was taken to jail, records show Thomas is accused of intentionally flooding a previous cell, so he was moved and his water was turned off. Meadors is also accused of failing to ensure that water was restored to the cell.
Thomas was left in solitary confinement with no water for seven days, losing 34 pounds.
According to the Associated Press, Thomas was one of four people (including a newborn) to die at the Milwaukee County Jail within a six-month period in 2016. Seven inmates altogether have died in the jail since mid-2016.
Former Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., who was in office at the time of Thomas’ death, hasn’t commented publicly on his agency’s handling of Thomas’ incarceration. He has, however, complained publicly that the media fails to sufficiently highlight Thomas’ poor physical health and the charges that landed him in jail, neither of which contributed to his death, according to the medical examiner’s report.
Milwaukee County Acting Sheriff Richard Schmidt said Monday he has made several changes at the jail, including investing $500,000 in resources to make sure that inmates get medical care.
He also offered sympathy to the family of Thomas.
“This family has gone through a horrific ordeal. Saying I’m sorry — is that good enough? I don’t think that it is,” Schmidt said. “Law enforcement is sworn to serve and protect. To the family, I have nothing but deepest sympathies for their loss.”
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