A man died at an Atlanta jail after being eaten alive by insects and bed bugs, his family’s attorney told USA TODAY on Thursday.
LaShawn Thompson, 35, was arrested for misdemeanor simple battery in Atlanta last summer, officials said, and taken to the Fulton County Jail where he was placed in the psychiatric wing after officials determined he was mentally ill.
According to a Fulton County Medical Examiner’s report obtained by USA TODAY, Thompson was found unresponsive in his jail cell Sept. 19, and pronounced dead after failed life-saving attempts by responding local police and medical personnel.
“The officer stated that it is unknown the last time the decedent was seen as the case continues to be investigated,” the Oct. 26 report continues.
There were no obvious signs of trauma found on Thompson’s body, the coroner wrote, but his entire body was covered in bed bugs. The report also goes onto note a “severe bed bug infestation” in the inmate’s cell in the psychiatric ward.
Thompson’s cause of death, the report shows, was listed as undetermined.
“Mr. Thompson was found dead in a filthy jail cell after being eaten alive by insects and bed bugs,” his family’s Atlanta-based lawyer, Michael D. Harper said Thursday. “We’re asking for a criminal investigation into the matter and (major) changes at the jail.”
A lawsuit in the case is pending, Harper said.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office released a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday extending its condolences to Thompson’s family.
According to the statement, a full investigation was launched into the circumstances surrounding his death. As a part of the ongoing investigation, action taken included:
Approving an additional expenditure of $500,000 to address the infestation of bed bugs, lice and other vermin within the jail which was done in addition to prior cleaning operations targeting communicable diseases that are common in congregant settings;
Updating protocols for security rounds to include addressing sanitary conditions.
“They literally watched his health decline until he died,” Harper said. “When his body was found one of the detention officers refused to administer CPR because in her words she ‘freaked out.’ The jail cell Mr. Thompson was housed in was not fit for a diseased animal. He did not deserve this.”In addition to a criminal investigation, Thompson’s attorney said his family is calling for someone to be held accountable in his death and the closure and replacement of the jail.
“It’s no secret that the dilapidated and rapidly eroding conditions of the current facility make it incredibly difficult to meet the goal of providing a clean, well-maintained and healthy environment for all inmates and staff,” the sheriff’s office statement said. “That is precisely why Sheriff (Patrick) Labat continues to call building a new Fulton County Jail and Criminal Justice Complex which will provide an elite level of care, mental health services, security and cleanliness.”

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