ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A federal wrongful death lawsuit filed against DeKalb County jail personnel, the county’s former medical provider, and others allege an inmate died from hypothermia after jail staff repeatedly ignored his pleas for help.
The lawsuit has been filed by the parents of Anthony Lamar Walker, who died while being held in the DeKalb County jail on Dec. 26, 2022. The lawsuit seeks damages for civil rights violations, wrongful death, negligence and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Walker, 34, was found dead eight days after being arrested on an alleged aggravated assault charge. The lawsuit alleges more than two dozen jail employees and medical contractors showed deliberate indifference to Walker’s deteriorating condition.
Walker was experiencing a mental health crisis when he arrived at the jail, according to the lawsuit. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been treated at the detention facility before. Medical records show jail staff knew about his mental illness and administered medication to him in the past but failed to do so this time…