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[excelsiorlef]

Milwaukee jail inmate Terrill Thomas was doing time after being arrested in connection with a casino shooting. After spending only nine days incarcerated in the Milwaukee County Jail, Terrill Thomas was found dead in his cell on April 24, 2016. Ironically, the Milwaukee County Jail is operated by prominent Donald Trump supporter and Black Lives Matter opponent Sheriff David
Ultimately, the cause of 38-year-old inmate Terrill Thomas’ death was determined to be “profound dehydration.” According to fellow inmates of the Milwaukee County Jail, Terrill Thomas had been heard begging and pleading for something to drink in the days leading up to his death. Apparently, his cries for help and water went unanswered.

...

As the Huffington Post reports, Milwaukee inmate Terrill Thomas’ cause of death was announced by the medical examiner in charge of his case last week. In addition to declaring that Terrill Thomas died due to being cruelly dehydrated while locked in his cell, the Milwaukee County ME also labeled the death of the inmate a homicide.
Inmate Terrill Thomas, who died in the jail run by a very outspoken supporter of Donald Trump for POTUS, had reportedly been without water for at least six days prior to the discovery of his dehydrated dead body. According to other inmates who were locked up alongside Terrill Thomas, those running the Milwaukee County Jail, including Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., deliberately shut off the water flow to Thomas’ cell.

Terrill Thomas’ fellow inmates were reportedly so concerned about Thomas and his lack of access to water for drinking and/or sanitation that at least one inmate called out a guard about Thomas’ potential fate well before the 38-year-old (who had never been proven guilty of his alleged crime in a court of law) tragically died in his cell.

While the determination that Milwaukee inmate Terrill Thomas’ death was, in fact, a homicide does open up the door for further investigations and lawsuits, it doesn’t guarantee that anyone will ever be charged in connection with his death.
It is definitely unclear whether or not the sheriff or any of the Milwaukee County Jail guards could face criminal charges in connection with the untimely death of inmate Terrill Thomas, it does appear that Milwaukee county could be facing a civil suit in the matter. The deceased former inmate’s family has reportedly retained the services of attorney Erik J. Heipt, who has a history of representing the families of those who have died while their freedom was denied them in jail cells.

http://www.inquisitr.com/3525078/mi...ath-ruled-homicide-video/#DLSTblTsJUl2gYsb.99

According to inmates, guards allegedly deprived Thomas of water for six days, reported the Journal Sentinel. “If something happens to that man, it’s your fault,” one of the inmates reportedly told guards.

Milwaukee County Jail is under the jurisdiction of Milwaukee Sheriff David A. Clarke, a star in conservative circles after delivering a rousing speech at the Republican National Convention earlier this summer.

Sheriff Clarke is a Trump supporter who came to national attention during the August riots in Milwaukee, when he denigrated the Black Lives Matter movement. Clarke frequently talks about “law and order” and often denigrates “black cultural dysfunction.” How about the dysfunction of letting a man die of thirst while in the care of the state?

“They may well have had reason to turn off the water. There absolutely could be reasons why you’d want to turn off someone’s water in their cell. But to then not give them drinking water? That’s crazy,” Heipt said. “To make a human being die of thirst, where they have no ability to get their own water for survival, that’s pretty inhumane. It doesn’t get much worse than that.”

Heipt said he has received calls from other former inmates of the Milwaukee County Jail who said the water to their cells had been cut off, too. In fact, another inmate, Antonio Cowser, died in 2011 after water to his cell was turned off.

“They could have gave him some water,” Thomas’ mother Celia told the Journal Sentinel.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_57e03580e4b04a1497b5f12e

Milwaukee County coroners on Thursday ruled the April dehydration death of bipolar inmate Terrill Thomas a homicide, WITI-TV reported. The county jail has faced allegations of improper medical care as far back as before outspoken Trump backer Sheriff David Clarke Jr. first won election to his office in 2002.

...

Fellow inmates told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel corrections officers shut off the water in Thomas’ cell for the six days before his April 24 death. The jail officers refused the inmates’ warnings that Thomas was sick and in dire need of drinking water, the inmates said.

“If something happens to that man, it's your fault,” inmate Marcus Berry told the local newspaper he said to corrections officers the night before Thomas’ death.

Berry said jail officers shut off Thomas’ water faucet and toilet in a special unit separate from the general inmate population because he had flooded his previous cell. Thomas turned down food in the days before his death as well, according to Berry.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/cri...led-homicide-troubled-jail-article-1.2798787?

 

[ClosingADoor]

So basically torture and murder. How can these people live with themselves doing this stuff. Should be locked up for live, no excuses for this at all. The man is in your custody, you are responsible for him. If he dies of god damn dehydration, that is murder.

 

[hypernima]

nothing surprises me anymore.
nothing shocks me anymore.
unsure if that is good or bad.

 

[slider]

Geez. I hope I'm not being naive saying this, but I hope someone is held criminally accountable for this sick act.

 

[neorej]

nothing surprises me anymore.
nothing shocks me anymore.
unsure if that is good or bad.

I feel the same. It's like I'm numb to this kind of shit.

 

[GeoGonzo]

Ironically, the Milwaukee County Jail is operated by prominent Donald Trump supporter and Black Lives Matter opponent Sheriff David

That doesn't sound ironic at all, though?

 

[Jackpot]

In fact, another inmate, Antonio Cowser, died in 2011 after water to his cell was turned off.

If nothing happened the last time they did this, why should it be different now?

 

[Cerium]

DE

PLOR

ABLE

 

[Tecnniqe]

This sounds like something one would expect out of the Middle East, not a supposedly first world country.


Fucking justice system holds nobody but civilians accountable. Disgrace. And here we are marching for civil rights everywhere else in the world on our high horse.

 

[Piichan]

Black suffering is just white noise at this point. What the fuck is going on.

 

[Dot Matrix]

Geez. I hope I'm not being naive saying this, but I hope someone is held criminally accountable for this sick act.

According to other inmates who were locked up alongside Terrill Thomas, those running the Milwaukee County Jail, including Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., deliberately shut off the water flow to Thomas’ cell.

Someone like the Sheriff'? Not a chance.

 

[zoukka]

This sounds like something one would expect out of the Middle East, not a supposedly first world country.

At some point this sentence will become moot and the rest of the world will just start to refer to america as a third world nation.

 

[Usobuko]

So basically torture and murder. How can these people live with themselves doing this stuff.

They probably do not see the inmates as human beings, just sort kind of life forms not much different from the animals they consumed day in day out.

 

[Putzweg]

just what the fuuuuuuuuck!

 

[Linkstrikesback]

I don't see how this can be considered anything other than murder, or at least some equivalent charge.

 

[Peltz]

What a disgrace.

 

[Orpheum]

Absolutely despicable. I am seriously speechless.

I don't see how this can be considered anything other than murder, or at least some equivalent charge.

this.

 

[Henkka]

Wow. Pure, sadistic evil.

 

[Oppo]

fuck man. they tortured that guy to death.

“They may well have had reason to turn off the water. There absolutely could be reasons why you’d want to turn off someone’s water in their cell.

like WHAT. One good reason, please, for this, 'cause i am at a loss.

 

[valkillmore]

I don't see how this can be considered anything other than murder, or at least some equivalent charge.

Agree. Absolutely sickening

 

[Timedog]

The majority of the country doesn't give a single shit about black people so nothing happens. Assholes are too worried about a highway getting blocked to give a shit enough to do anything other than to briefly say, "oh, how bad" at situations like this, and then go along with their merry day. Makes me sick.

 

[Buzzman]

Getting captured by ISIS would be a better fate compared to what happened to this poor man.

Let's not forget the case where prison guards literally boiled someone to death. Also a mentally ill black man.

 

[SlipperyFishes]

One day we will see a wrongful death thread about someone who isn't a person of colour in the USA.

It's fucking saddening how every single one in the last few weeks has been exclusively about black folks.

 

[Dot Matrix]

fuck man. they tortured that guy to death.



like WHAT. One good reason, please, for this, 'cause i am at a loss.

The reason they gave was that he flooded his last cell. That's a good reason to cut the water off. But they didn't provide any alternative like bottles of water or one cup at a time etc. Even after being told by other inmates that they suspect he will die, they continued to ignore it. That's the issue here, not the cutting off of the water.

 

[xevis]

So the incident has been declared a homicide but it's unclear that anyone will be charged? What the hell kind of justice system is that?

 

[Subpar Scrub]

These threads are becoming a bit too much. How many do we need of US law enforcement fucking up until it falls into the "don't post stories of local tragedies with little discussion value" exactly?

Fucked up and gross regardless. Someone better be charged at the end of this.

 

[Symphonia]

Like WHAT. One good reason, please, for this, 'cause i am at a loss.

There isn't a single excuse for turning an inmate's water off. At the end of the day, guilty or not, they are still human and deserve access to basic human rights, such as water.

 

[Putzweg]

This is really a gruesome and terrible way to die. Its nothing less than murder by torture. Fuck, imagine what a slow and painful death? To die by dehydration in a cell? Man...

 

[Derwind]

Accountability has become such a novel concept, I'm more surprised when that occurs rather than the gross & criminal misconduct that occur from law enforcement.

 

[Timedog]

These threads are becoming a bit too much. How many do we need of US law enforcement fucking up until it falls into the "don't post stories of local tragedies with little discussion value" exactly?

Fucked up and gross regardless. Someone better be charged at the end of this.

Oh gosh, im so sorry that scrolling past the thread inconvenienced your pleasant little day. What a bummer!

 

[Oppo]

The reason they gave was that he flooded his last cell. That's a good reason to cut the water off. But they didn't provide any alternative like bottles of water or one cup at a time etc. Even after being told by other inmates that they suspect he will die, they continued to ignore it. That's the issue here, not the cutting off of the water.

odd. was there not a drain? i assume no toilet either?

i agree that this is a side point but the language used seem to try and imply - well say really - that cutting off the prisoner's water supply is totally reasonable under multiple circumstances which i do not buy at all. if you can turn off the water, you can turn the supply down as well, so i don't buy flooding either.

 

[Subpar Scrub]

Oh gosh, im so sorry that scrolling past the thread inconvenienced your pleasant little day. What a bummer!

My question was intended to be rhetorical and pessimistic, not genuine.

odd. was there not a drain? i assume no toilet either?

The drains can be plugged with toilet paper or clothing articles.

 

[sechsterangriff]

Is there such a thing as accountability in the US?

 

[Verelios]

I can't believe I opened this thread expecting to be angry, outraged, grievous over this injustice, but instead I feel nothing. I feel nothing because I know justice won't be carried out, this man won't be put to rest, these people won't be held accountable. So now I'm just weary and tired of it all. All I can do is pay my respects to this man who died and unjust death.

 

[Mattlikewhoa]

Is there such a thing as accountability in the US?

Not with these people...

 

[Hagi]

Is there such a thing as accountability in the US?

Only for those who either commit a crime or are perceived to commit a crime. This rarely applies to people in positions of power.

 

[*Splinter]

While the determination that Milwaukee inmate Terrill Thomas’ death was, in fact, a homicide does open up the door for further investigations and lawsuits, it doesn’t guarantee that anyone will ever be charged in connection with his death.

If this isn't clear then your laws are wrong.

 

[takriel]

Sheriff David Ultimately?

Edit: ah, nvm, was confused there for a sec.

That's really disgusting.

 

[Zaru]

There isn't a single excuse for turning an inmate's water off.

Well, he supposedly flooded his cell when he still had running water.

The inhumane part is denying him water (also what about sanitation?) through other means

 

[excelsiorlef]

These threads are becoming a bit too much. How many do we need of US law enforcement fucking up until it falls into the "don't post stories of local tragedies with little discussion value" exactly?

Fucked up and gross regardless. Someone better be charged at the end of this.

When things change. These aren't local issues, they are part of nation wide systemic oppression.

 

[Subpar Scrub]

When things change. These aren't local issues, they are part of nation wide systemic oppression.

I'm aware, I'm just exhausted from all this shit. Hell, I'm not even American and I'm fucking over it.

 

[TedMilk]

This is beyond fucked up. Good luck US.

 

[GaimeGuy]

According to other inmates who were locked up alongside Terrill Thomas, those running the Milwaukee County Jail, including Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr., deliberately shut off the water flow to Thomas’ cell.

When Mr Clarke dies, even a pile of feces would be too good a gravestone for him.

 

[ManDudeChild]

At what point does straight up killing cops like this become a question of legality, as supposed to the legality and ethics of taking a life? While I wouldn't condone the killing of men like Mr. Clarke per se, I would certainly understand it.

When Mr Clarke dies, even a pile of feces would be too good a gravestone for him.

That is really messed up.

Spoiler

Feces could be composted and used to plant a garden. That's such a waste

 

[Brinbe]

Holy shit, that's barbaric. They should all be put in prison. The fact there will be no justice here is truly upsetting and a sign of how the power of the state/of those who we entrust with authority, has become cruelly corrupted.

And America is supposed to be a shining beacon to the rest of the world? An example to follow? Not with this systematic injustice occurring on a daily basis.

 

[entremet]

This is why BLM is needed.

 

[Dot Matrix]

odd. was there not a drain? i assume no toilet either?

i agree that this is a side point but the language used seem to try and imply - well say really - that cutting off the prisoner's water supply is totally reasonable under multiple circumstances which i do not buy at all. if you can turn off the water, you can turn the supply down as well, so i don't buy flooding either.

No idea of the setup of their cells but it is common for prisoners to intentionally flood their cells. They block the toilet and drain with their sheets or clothes and run the tap or flush constantly. If they have plexiglass instead of bars then the water can rise quite high. Certainly enough to drown face down in. If the prisoner has a history of flooding their cell then they can have their water supply cut off, but the guards have to provide alternative sanitation and drinking options. This was obviously done to teach him some kind of lesson.

My guess is that when they release a statement they will claim the water was cut off for his own protection, he refused food/water when offered, the CCTV will be inconclusive or missing altogether, the other prisoners can't be believed because 'they're no angels themselves', and the department will take this as an opportunity to reflect on their policies and learn from this tragic mistake. The civil suit will settle out of court costing the sheriffs department nothing and leaving the city/tax payers footing the bill.

 

[What did he mean by this?]

System working as intended.

 

[bigmit3737]

I feel like there have been an awful lot of these threads recently.

I wonder if Trump's statements are fueling some of these actions.

 

[krazen]

No idea of the setup of their cells but it is common for prisoners to intentionally flood their cells. They block the toilet and drain with their sheets or clothes and run the tap or flush constantly. If they have plexiglass instead of bars then the water can rise quite high. Certainly enough to drown face down in. If the prisoner has a history of flooding their cell then they can have their water supply cut off, but the guards have to provide alternative sanitation and drinking options. This was obviously done to teach him some kind of lesson.

My guess is that when they release a statement they will claim the water was cut off for his own protection, he refused food/water when offered, the CCTV will be inconclusive or missing altogether, the other prisoners can't be believed because 'they're no angels themselves', and the department will take this as an opportunity to reflect on their policies and learn from this tragic mistake. The civil suit will settle out of court costing the sheriffs department nothing and leaving the city/tax payers footing the bill.

Damn. Well summed up. But damn.