The FBI is joining the probe into the death of a man who was allegedly left naked on a concrete jail floor for days until he was transported “limp” and “not alert and conscious” to an Alabama hospital.
Tony Mitchell was a pretrial detainee at the Walker County Jail from Jan. 12 until his death Jan. 26, according to a lawsuit filed by his mother Monday. An official cause of death has not been released, but notes from an emergency room doctor who treated him included in the lawsuit said he is likely to have died of hypothermia.
The Alabama Attorney General’s Office released a statement Thursday confirming that it was aware of the case and that the FBI is investigating along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
“Once the investigation is completed, the Attorney General will ensure that any appropriate action is taken,” the statement said.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mitchell’s case.
The FBI’s Birmingham field office recently investigated Alabama Department of Corrections Lt. Mohammad Shahid Jenkins, leading to a four-count indictment by a grand jury last month. The indictment is sealed, but Jenkins is accused of using excessive force on an inmate and obstructing the investigation.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month.
Mitchell’s case was detailed in the wrongful death suit filed by his mother against the county’s sheriff’s office and jail staff. The suit says that the family had received leaked footage of Mitchell’s detainment that contradicted what they’d been told by county officials.
Mitchell was taken into custody after a family member asked officials to perform a wellness check Jan. 12, noting he might be a danger to himself or others, the Walker County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook at the time.
Mitchell fired a gun while deputies were on the scene and was charged with attempted murder, the sheriff’s office said.
He remained a pretrial detainee from that day until the morning of Jan. 26,…
Read the full article here
