*A mentally ill Georgia man died in a bedbug-infested jail cell last year and now his family is calling for a criminal investigation into his death.
LaShawn Thompson, 35, died in September 2022 at Fulton County Jail after being “eaten alive by insects” in his jail cell, per PEOPLE.
“The jail cell Mr. Thompson was housed in, was not fit for a diseased animal,” the family’s lawyer, Michael D. Harper, said in the statement. “He did not deserve this.”
Three months prior to his death on June 12, 2022, Thompson was arrested for simple battery and was reportedly placed in the jail’s psychiatric unit due to unspecified mental health issues. While detained, his health reportedly deteriorated, but staffers did nothing to help him.
“This is the most inhumane inmate death I’ve seen.”
The family of Lashawn Thompson, an inmate who died inside a Fulton Co. Jail cell last year, is calling for sweeping changes. The 35-year-old’s family say he was “eaten alive by insects and bed bugs.” Story at 6pm. @ATLNewsFirst pic.twitter.com/vTfeVH7Cd5
— Zac Summers (@ZacOnTV) April 12, 2023
“They literally watched his health decline until he died,” Harper said. “When his body was found one of the detention officers refused to administer CPR because in her words she “freaked out.”
According to a Fulton County Medical Examiner’s report, Thompson’s body was “covered in bed bugs” and it was “unknown the last time the decedent was seen.”
His cause of death was listed as undetermined, per PEOPLE.
These are the conditions of the Fulton County Jail, where Lashawn Thompson was found dead, covered in lice and feces. At the time of his death, over 90% of his unit was severly malnourished. EVERY person had lice or scabies.
He was 35 years old. pic.twitter.com/OnQYGgo4ZL
— Clara T Green (@ClaraTGreen) April 13, 2023
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the “dilapidated and rapidly eroding conditions” of the facility, and that “a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding Thompson’s death” has been launched.
“Without making any explicit statements about Mr. Thompson’s health, it’s fair to say that this is one of many cases that illustrate the desperate need for expanded and better mental health services,” per the sheriff’s office statement, PEOPLE reports.
Scroll up to watch the video report above to see the family’s reactions.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
