Family sues over mentally ill Pittsburgh man’s death in jail
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The daughter of a mentally ill man who died after 10 days in the county jail in Pittsburgh has sued claiming officials at the jail and its medical provider should have done more to help him.
Allegheny County and officials for Corizon Health say they can’t comment on the federal lawsuit filed Friday by Cynthia Jewett Whitlow in the December 2014 death of her father, Clarence Jewett.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the 62-year-old Pittsburgh man was arrested and jailed after screaming profanities uncontrollably outside his home.
Jewett was found face-down in his own vomit in his cell 10 days later and died of peritonitis caused by a perforated esophagus.
His daughter’s lawsuit claims he wasn’t properly treated for his schizophrenia and physical problems after he sang, cursed and yelled for days but refused to eat.