Tuesday, October 3, 2023
DIES YOUNG, DIES HORRIBLY—The death occurred in the Fulton County jail ini Atlanta, Georgia, where Thompson was eaten alive by bedbugs and perhaps other insects, according to family attorney …
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DIES YOUNG, DIES HORRIBLY — The death occurred in the Fulton County jail ini Atlanta, Georgia, where Thompson was eaten alive by bedbugs and perhaps other insects, according to family attorney Michael Harper. “They put that man in that cell, left him there to die . . . and that’s exactly what happened,” Harper said.
This photo, which turned up as I was seeking more information on line, will perhaps have more mental impact on the minds of my readers — who had only the words of my last week’s blog to read and by which to judge . . . and dealt with only in part the Thompson death. As far as I can discover, the cause of death has not been officially determined — although it appears rather obvious. A private autopsy was being pursued.
Jail records show that medical staff and detention personnel noticed Thompson was deteriorating, but they didn't help him, an attorney said. "They literally watched his health decline until he died," said Harper. "When his body was found, one of the detention officers refused to administer CPR because in her words she 'freaked out.’"
Thompson had over 1,000 bites, and insects were found in his mouth, ears, nose and across his body. Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat, who spoke at a press conference alongside the Thompson family and attorneys, said: "We understand that this is absolutely unconscionable, point blank.” Thompson's death still was being investigated by the Office of Professional Standards and Atlanta Police Department, the sheriff said. Three of Fulton County Jail's staff had resigned and an ongoing internal investigation was continuing as this blog was being written.
Thompson, who reportedly had schizophrenia, was arrested on June for a misdemeanor simple battery charge and placed into the psychiatric wing of the Fulton County Jail. He was discovered unresponsive on September 13.
During a news conference on April 13, graphic photos of Thompson’s deceased body were shown to which his brother, Brad McCrae, compared what he saw to photos of Emmett Till‘s decades ago. Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African-American boy who was beaten/tortured and lynched on Aug. 28, 1955. He was dragged out of his great-uncle’s home in Money, Mississippi, where his mother had sent him from Chicago for the summer. Days later, his brutally beaten, disfigured body, weighted down with a cotton gin fan tied to his body with barbed wire, was pulled from the Tallahatchie River.
The Till story broke again, coincidentally, with announcement April 28 of the death at 88 of the white woman at whom the 14-year-old Black boy reportedly had whistled in a grocery store. If he were still alive today, he would have lived, perhaps enjoying at least in part, another 68 years. There were no legal convictions in his cruel and horrible death. See detail in the Times April 26/27 or on the Internet,
The foregoing is not exactly ancient history. It happened during my early adult years at the Leader as an addition to the editorial staff (and a stringer for Associated Press).
And as I wrote last week, the Eighth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution states: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”
CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT is a phrase in common law describing punishment that is considered unacceptable due to the suffering, pain or humiliation it inflicts on the person subjected to the sanction. The precise definition varies by jurisdiction, but typically includes punishments that are arbitrary, unnecessary, overly severe compared to the crime, or not generally accepted in society. —Wikipedia
Under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, individuals convicted of a crime have the right to be free of "cruel and unusual" punishment while in jail or prison. This means that after criminal defendants are convicted and sentenced, the Constitution still acts to guarantee their fundamental rights during confinement and treatment by corrections personnel.
This blog was being written last weekend. so latest developments in this case may possibly be found on the Internet.
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Justin Hale
Why drag racism into the mix Tom?
Emmett Till's death was purely a racist event, how is Lashawn Thompson's death racist? Were those bedbugs racist? Did the jail have one special room for blacks? Seems to me that there was a failure of the system all around. M. Thompson seemed to be OK with living in a pigsty by the looks of it. Most jail cells have a source of water, an inmate can wash themselves and their room if they want to. Certainly, the jail staff was negligent, and you can be certain that M. Thompson's family will be well rewarded for his unfortunate death.
Take off your racist glasses Tom.
Thursday, May 4 Report this
MargeS
Number of black Americans in U.S. Population: 13%, percentage of that 13% who are black, 38% in prison.
Thursday, May 4 Report this
Justin Hale
M. Thompson appears to be one of the 38%, he was in Jail for assaulting someone, not because he was black.
Friday, May 5 Report this
Thomas Camfield
The Eighth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution states: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” Lashawn Thompson was labelled schizophrenic, put into a rancid cell on a minor misdemeanor charge—and neglected. He shared the cell for several months with an apparent deadly force of bedbugs and/or other insects. A Free Press , so hated by Donald Trump and extreme right-wingers, got wind of it all. Racism expresses itself with just one more example.
Friday, May 5 Report this
Justin Hale
Tom, it's you and M.S. who are making it a racial issue.
Would the story be any more or less horrible if the color or nationality of the person was different?
And of course, you just can't help tossing your Hatred for Trump into the mix.
It's amazing how you people prattle on about "extreme right-wingers" and racists while I see more of that coming from you two, what's that they say about pointing a finger at others?
Saturday, May 6 Report this
Thomas Camfield
Far as I can see, Marge and I are two of three individuals who comment here—and you, Justin, are the only one who loves Trump . . . although Lord only knows why.
Saturday, May 6 Report this
Justin Hale
Sorry that your memory is failing you Tom, but I said, in these multiple comment sections, that I think Trump is a loud-mouthed oaf, but I gave him due respect, more for the office than for Trump, while you and M.S. started hating on him even before he took office, just as the biased MSM and the deep state had it in for him from day one.
I've also mentioned more than once that I hope he is not the Republican choice for POTUS in 24.
So, once again you are wrong Tom, I do not "love" Trump, I just don't buy into your partisan trump hating BS.
Saturday, May 6 Report this
MargeS
Can you write a coherent comment without the old "you guys hated Trump." Some of us realized what a terrible president he would be and he didn't disappoint. History will call this era of history, one of the worst times in American political history. I doubt 50 years from now anyone will understand how half our country was duped by this narcissistic, bigoted person.
Saturday, May 6 Report this
Justin Hale
OH, so it's ok for you to call the President all manner of evil nasty things, but if you are called out for your obvious hatred that's a no-no?
Sorry, but I'm not playing that game.
Saturday, May 6 Report this
MargeS
So you thought this was a game? Grow up!
Sunday, May 7 Report this