Legal dispute claims excessive reluctance, medical neglect before Angelina County's death

Almost two years after a man had died in his care in a prison in East Texas, his brother sued the county and a correctional health company for his death.

Glenn Earl Smallwood Jr., a 33-year-old father and veteran of the US Army, was booked into the prison of Angelina County on the night of June 16, 2023 while he was charged with public poisoning. He was declared dead in a Lufkin hospital the next day.

In a federal action submitted on Tuesday in the eastern district of Texas, it is now claimed that the staff of the prison ignores the health needs of smallwood and instead moved to a retention chair, although he did not show any signs of aggression. It also means that the prison staff has not provided him with reasonable medical care despite clear concerns.

“The people responsible for his care have totally dropped the ball and ignored his medical needs,” said his brother John Smallwood in an explanation The Dallas Morning News. “They treated him worse than an animal, strapped him on a chair and let him suffer and die.”

He is represented by Erik Heipt, a lawyer based in Seattle who initiated complaints about other deaths in prisons in Texas. This includes another case in East Texas with claims for medical neglect, which ended in an important agreement of over 7 million US dollars in 2023.

The judge of Angelina County, Kevin Wright and Sheriff Tom Selman, did not respond to e -mails from The newS are looking for a comment on Tuesday.

The news In addition, the medical providers of the prison in the Southern Health Partner, the medical provider of the prison, reached e -mail and an online form. The news In addition, Jennifer Hairsine, the company's CEO, left a voiceemail for Jennifer Hairsine after she had received an extraordinary answer from her that she might only respond slowly to emails, but did not receive an answer on Tuesday.

“No laughing matter”

According to the lawsuit, Smallwood suffered from schizo -savvy disorder during a large part of his adult life, which caused him to rely on stimulants and alcohol when he exhausted his psychiatric medication.

On the day before his arrest, Smallwood was looking for help in a state of active psychosis for help with a facility for mental health from Lufkin, the lawsuit said. However, since the employees processed the paper to secure an arrest warrant for mental health in order to maintain a higher level of care, he left the facility and probably with meth itself.

That evening the police officers of Lufkin found him in a residential area who, according to the complaint, acted incoherently and bleed out of his mouth. But instead of considering the arrest warrant for mental health, it is said that the officials arrested Smallwood for public poisoning and transferred it to the district prison.

In the facility, the Smallwood prison personnel quickly placed in a restraint chair, although it did not show any signs of aggression, according to the camera provided by Hipp and the camera provided by the body. They also show that at some point he started to save and asked an employee to move out of the way and smile and laugh from others.

“Mr. Smallwood's vomiting is not a laughing affair,” says the lawsuit. “It is obvious that the risk of damage or death is endangered.”

Smallwood was then thrown into a detoxification cell, where a nurse saw him “limp and unconscious”, according to the complaint at 9:52 p.m. It is said that he did not answer the nurse's Sternum Rub, which should be a sign for prison staff in order to provide him with immediate medical help – but he did not receive this care.

About an hour later, a prison employee noticed that Smallwood won “short breaths” and asked if he should be taken to the hospital, but the nurse said no because his vital functions showed “a normal reading for the robbery of someone”.

Around 11:36 p.m., other prison forces noticed that according to the lawsuit, he no longer reacted and gave him the compressions of breast compressions. It is said that he was then taken to a local hospital, where he was declared dead at 12:05 p.m.

In his explanation, John Smallwood said that he supported the law enforcement authorities and “did not jump to conclusions” when he heard about the death of his brother for the first time.

“But after watching the videos, my belief and my confidence in law enforcement were shaken,” he said. “I was disgusted and horrified about how you treated my brother. I'm still.”

He also pursues the case to ensure that his brother is the “last” person who dies in Angelina County's prison and pursue other deaths in the customer. And before this case, Southern Health Partners was suspended in several countries because of his quality of care.

“Glenn was more than his mistakes,” added John Smallwood.

“He revered his children. He loved God, family and our country,” he said.