Jailer to plead guilty after mentally ill man, 33, froze to death in police custody when he was left naked and covered in faeces in a concrete cell for two weeks

A erstwhile jailer is group to plead blameworthy to a criminal complaint successful nan decease of a mentally sick man who froze to decease successful constabulary custody aft being near naked and covered successful faeces for a fortnight.

Joshua Conner Jones, an ex-corrections serviceman astatine nan Walker County Jail, Alabama, has entered into a plea woody according to tribunal documents, complete nan curen of 2 inmates, including Tony Mitchell.

Mitchell, 33, died connected January 26, 2023, aft being dashed from his compartment to a infirmary emergency room pinch a assemblage somesthesia of 72 degrees, according to a suit revenge successful February against nan jailhouse by his mother.

The plea statement stated that Mitchell 'was almost ever naked, wet, cold, and covered successful feces while lying connected nan cement level without a mat aliases blanket'.

By nan 2nd week of his incarceration, he was 'largely listless and mostly unresponsive to questions from officers,' but nary measures were put successful spot to trim his suffering.

Jones has now agreed to plead blameworthy to nan count of depriving nan inmate of his rights, while besides pleading blameworthy to a separate rights-deprivation count related to nan battle of different inmate.

The plea statement suggested location were 5 individuals progressive successful nan maltreatment of authorities that led to nan Mitchell's death. 

Prosecutors wrote successful nan plea statement that nan erstwhile jailer had admitted that 'collectively we did it. We killed him'.

Mitchell was initially arrested connected January 13, 2023 aft his family members called nan police, reporting his erratic behaviour.

When deputies arrived, they recovered Mitchell successful nan beforehand gait and said he instantly pulled retired a handgun and fired astatine slightest 1 changeable astatine them.

The man ran disconnected into adjacent woods and was hiding successful a shed erstwhile they tracked him down.   

Prosecutors wrote successful nan plea statement that erstwhile Mitchell's deteriorating information would beryllium mentioned, nan co-conspirators would reply that ' 'he gets what he gets since he changeable astatine cops' aliases words to that effect.' 

Mitchell was past booked into nan Walker County Jail connected charges of attempted murder. 

On nan time he was arrested, Mitchell was brought earlier a judge and was listed arsenic 'unable to sign' paperwork, according to tribunal records.

Earlier this year, a family personnel said they had believed jailhouse would beryllium a safe spot for nan man.

'We knew he was successful jail, and we thought that was nan safest spot for him astatine nan time,' a family personnel said. 'But it turned retired to beryllium nan worst spot for him.'

The distraught family successful February revenge a lawsuit against nan jail.

'This is 1 of nan astir appalling cases of jailhouse maltreatment nan state has seen,' nan 37-page national suit revenge by nan family alleges.

Shocking video of Mitchell being carried retired of nan jailhouse connected January 26 shows nan man being dragged and placed into a patrol conveyance earlier he was later declared dead.

The video allegedly contradicts nan sheriff's original connection that Mitchell was having a aesculapian rumor but had been 'alert and responsive' erstwhile he was taken to nan hospital.

The title revenge by nan family alleges infirmary unit astatine Walker Baptist Medical Center spent 3 hours attempting to resuscitate him earlier he was declared dead.

According to nan physician's statements, nan Mitchell's origin of decease was believed to person been hypothermia.

'I americium not judge what circumstances nan diligent was held successful incarceration but it is difficult to understand a rectal somesthesia of 72 degrees F, 22 degrees centigrade while personification is incarcerated successful jail,' nan suit stated.

'The origin of his hypothermia is not clear. I do not cognize if he could person been exposed to a acold environment. I do judge hypothermia was nan eventual origin of death,' it continued.

In their suit, Mitchell's family claimed he had been stripped naked and placed successful a actual isolation compartment for nan clip he was there.

They besides claimed 5 hours went by betwixt Mitchell being removed from nan 'frigid environment' to him being taken to nan hospital.

'The compartment lacked a furniture aliases different furnishing,' nan suit stated.

'There was only a drain successful nan level that could beryllium utilized arsenic a toilet. The compartment was bare cement, nan balanced of a canine kennel. But dissimilar a dog, Tony was not moreover fixed a mat to slumber on.'   

In a connection aft his death, nan Walker County Sheriff's Office released a connection detailing nan decease of Mitchell successful nan rule enforcement agency's custody.

'On Thursday, January 27th, an inmate successful nan Walker County Jail was provided a regular aesculapian cheque by jailhouse aesculapian staff,' nan connection begins.

'Medical unit wished nan inmate needed to beryllium transported to nan infirmary for further evaluation.

'The inmate was alert and conscious erstwhile he near nan installation and arrived astatine nan hospital. Shortly aft presence astatine nan hospital, nan inmate suffered a aesculapian emergency and became unresponsive.

'Life redeeming efforts were performed by infirmary unit and nan inmate was yet revived. Unfortunately, a short clip later, nan inmate passed away,' nan connection ended.

Following Jones' plea agreement, Jon C. Goldfarb, an lawyer representing nan family successful nan civilian litigation, said 'the family is shocked to spot successful penning what they knew happened to Tony Mitchell.'