Fulton County, Georgia, has reached a settlement with the family of a man who tragically died in a bedbug-infested cell within the county jail’s psychiatric wing, according to the family’s attorneys’ announcement on Thursday.
The man in question, Lashawn Thompson, aged 35, passed away in September, just three months after being booked into the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. Attorneys Ben Crump and Michael Harper, representing Thompson’s family, stated in a news release that the family has reached settlements not only with the county but also with other unnamed entities.
The Bedbug-Infested jail cell case drew widespread attention in April when Harper released distressing photos showing Thompson’s face and body covered in insects. In response to Thompson’s death, the U.S. Department of Justice initiated an investigation into jail conditions in Fulton County.
While the family has expressed satisfaction with the settlements, the attorneys emphasized that the pursuit of full justice is far from over. They pledged to continue collaborating with the Thompson family and the supportive community to ensure that such a tragic incident, that involved the Bedbug-Infested jail cell, never befalls another family or claims another life. The attorneys declared that Lashawn Thompson’s life mattered, and they aim to demand and drive significant change in his memory, ultimately becoming his legacy.
As of now, the settlement amounts remain undisclosed. However, it was reported that Fulton County commissioners approved a $4 million settlement on Wednesday, although detailed terms of the settlement were not immediately revealed.
An independent autopsy conducted in May, released by the family, indicated that Thompson’s death was due to negligence. An earlier report from the Fulton County medical examiner’s office found no apparent signs of trauma on Thompson’s body but did highlight a “severe bed bug infestation.” The official cause of death was listed as “undetermined.”
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In response to the incident, the Department of Justice plans to investigate living conditions, access to medical and mental health care, the potential use of excessive force by staff, and conditions that may foster violence among those held in Fulton County jails. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division made this announcement when initiating the federal investigation last month.
