Shali Tilson

On March 3, 2018, Shali Tilson, 22, was arrested for misdemeanor disorderly conduct amid a psychiatric crisis. He was transported to the Rockdale County Jail. From March 4 to March 12, Tilson was held in solitary confinement, unmedicated. According to the lawsuit, jail staff did not seek medical help for him. “For eight days, Mr. Tilson remained locked in a single cell with no running water, and only a ‘suicide gown,’ a metal bed, and a hole in the floor to urinate and defecate,” according to the lawsuit. During his incarceration, “deputies neglected their duties, falsified their watch logs, and ignored the obvious signs that Mr. Tilson was in a state of distress,” according to the lawsuit. On March 12, while Tilson was slumped against the wall of his cell and lost consciousness, jail staff repeatedly signed off on wellness checks that had not actually occurred. He died later that day, of a pulmonary embolism caused by dehydration. The lawsuit alleges that he had not received an adequate supply of water for at least three days prior to his death.

The family's lawyer says deputies used force on him at least six times while in jail. Shali's family is filing a lawsuit and calling on the Justice Department to investigate what they say is a troubling pattern of misconduct." ... lawyer Mawuli Davis

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