An inmate’s death from an untreated stroke has prompted a $1 million settlement and a government investigation.
The Tampa Bay Times reports on the circumstances surrounding Allen Daniel Hicks’ last days:
Hicks, 51, was arrested in May 2012 after veering off Interstate 275 in Tampa. He was booked into jail without a medical screening, rambling incoherently and dragging his left leg.
More than a full day passed — during much of which Hicks lay on the floor of his cell or tried to crawl using only his right limbs — before he was taken to Tampa General Hospital and immediately diagnosed with a severe ischemic stroke. He slipped into a coma and died months later.
Police said they arrested Hicks because he failed to follow commands to get out of his vehicle.
Now the state’s health department is launching an investigation into Hicks’ death which, the Times reports, will largely focus on the actions of Armor Correctional Health Services Inc., a private company that has been contracted to take care of Hillsborough prisoners.
Source: Huffington Post
