CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) – Charleston County is facing a lawsuit following an inmate’s death ruled a homicide by gross medical neglect.
The suit focuses on the death of 28-year-old D’Angelo D. Brown, who was booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center in August of 2022. Brown had a documented history of mental illness and died four months later after receiving little to no medical intervention, the suit states.
Despite a “well-documented” history of mental illness including diagnoses for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, court documents allege that 28-year-old D’Angelo Brown never received the treatments he needed. Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal said Brown’s death on Dec. 29, 2022, was the result of E. coli EAEC with septic shock and multiple organ system failure caused by “gross medical neglect.”
Brown was a pre-trial detainee at the jail and was one of seven who died there between 2021 and 2022, according to the civil action lawsuit.
Charleston County is named as the sole defendant in Brown’s death, but Brown’s mother, Nekeya Jones, has also filed complaints against the South Carolina Department of Mental Health.
The lawsuit includes emails from Charleston County officials as evidence.
While Brown was in custody, Wellpath LLC was in a contract with the county to provide medical services for the inmates at Al Cannon, the suit states.
Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal said Brown’s death on Dec. 29, 2022, was the result of E. coli EAEC with septic shock and multiple organ system failure caused by “gross medical neglect.” O’Neal ruled the manner of death as a homicide.
The suit claims that Wellpath has a well-documented history of providing allegedly unconstitutional and substandard medical services.
The suit cites an email from Chief Abigail Duffy with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office expressing her concerns about Wellpath to the county, saying her staff had experienced repetitive problems, that its reputation was significantly decreasing in the last year and it wasn’t high to start with.
No immediate action was taken to address Brown’s health issues and he continued to suffer and die, the suit alleges.
Jones is demanding a jury trial and seeking damages.
Representatives of Charleston County and the South Carolina Department of Mental Health declined to comment on pending litigation.
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2022 inmate death leads to another lawsuit against Charleston County
