Pope McGlamry, in partnership with the Fowler Firm, has filed suit against the City of Atlanta on behalf of the estate of Wickie Bryant. Bryant was arrested on a misdemeanor acharge and held at the Atlanta City Detention Center. She suffered from a number of physical and mental health issues, including schizophrenia, diabetes and hypertension. After appalling neglect in the treatment of those conditions, Bryant died from diabetic ketoacidosis, which is what happens when, as Stephen Fowler of The Fowler Firm puts it, “a diabetic patient or individual does not receive the medication that they need to survive.”
During her detainment, Bryant was visited by her sister, Mildred Sims, who spoke with the staff and expressed her concerns about Bryant’s well-being, particularly in light of Bryant’s history of medication noncompliance. Sims was assured that Bryant was getting proper treatment for her diabetes, but the records show that they made no changes in their neglectful routine. Bryant was never referred to a physician or even to a mental health professional to determine her decision-making capacity.
When Bryant became agitated, she was moved from a minimum-security cell to a maximum-security cell where the lights were nonfunctional and had been for years. “This is not the place you house anyone,” says M. J. Blakely of Pope McGlamry, “Especially somebody who’s suffering from mental illness and whose healthcare condition is declining.” In this darkened cell, Bryant’s condition continued to deteriorate. She left her food untouched, became incoherent, voided her bladder and bowels on the floor, vomited repeatedly and ended up unresponsive on her bed. In the time leading up to her death, there were several records of hourly checks performed at her cell that were contradicted by security camera evidence. When she finally died, she was left in her cell for hours before anybody noticed, and her body was rigid with rigor mortis by the time the medical examiner arrived.
Mildred Sims, as representative of Wickie Bryant’s estate, is suing for pain and suffering, medical and funeral expenses, and punitive damages for willful misconduct. The suit alleges Bryant’s constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment were flagrantly violated by her treatment in the detention center.
Pope McGlamry is ready to fight for Bryant until justice is obtained. If you or a loved one has suffered indifferent and dangerous treatment in a similar institution, we can help you, too. Call 877-285-7656 for a consultation with our expert and determined legal team.
