Man ‘eaten alive’ by bed bugs dies in US prison, family says

The family of a man who died in a filthy jail cell in Atlanta, USA after being “eaten alive” by insects and bedbugs is calling for a criminal investigation into his death.

LaShawn Thompson, 35, was found dead in his cell at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sept. 13, 2022 – on a simple assault charge, according to an attorney representing the family. It was three months after he was arrested.

Thompson was placed in the prison’s psychiatric unit after officers determined he had mental health problems.

According to a Fulton County coroner’s report obtained by the American daily USA Today, Thompson was found unresponsive in custody, after unsuccessful attempts to save his life by local police and medical personnel. Death confirmed.

The coroner found no obvious signs of trauma on Thompson’s body, but said there was a “very serious” infestation of small insects on Thompson’s body and a “severe bed bug infestation” in the prisoner’s cell. He wrote that there was

The report also confirmed that Thompson had signs of cuts and wounds on his body from picking off the skin.

Graphic photos released last week by the family’s Atlanta-based attorney, Michael D. Harper, show the filthy condition of Thompson’s cell and his worm-infested body.

Harper also said prison records show that prison detainees and medical staff noticed Thompson’s health was deteriorating, but did nothing to give him assistance or help him. .

“They literally watched his health deteriorate until he died,” Harper said.

He added: The cell in which Mr. Thompson was kept was not suitable for sick animals. he didn’t deserve this. ”

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement last Thursday that it had launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Thompson’s death and had pledged $500,000 (S$665,000) to combat a vermin outbreak at the prison. bottom.

Thompson’s family has also called for the prison to be closed and replaced with new facilities, Harper said. They also plan to file a lawsuit against the prison.