Posted on 05/25/2023 2:06:17 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A lawyer for the family speculates that jail officials balked at the medication's high price.
Dexter Barry was arrested last November following a dispute with a neighbor. Five days later, he was dead, after jail officials refused to give him necessary medication for his heart transplant.
According to The Tributary, a news outlet based in Jacksonville, Florida, Barry was arrested on November 18, after a neighbor reported him to the police for allegedly threatening to "beat him up" following an extended dispute over Wi-Fi. While the two never physically fought, Barry was nonetheless arrested on a simple assault charge.
During his time in police custody, Barry—who had received a heart transplant in October 2020—frequently insisted that he needed to take specific daily medications to prevent his body from rejecting his new heart. According to body camera footage of the incident, Barry told one police officer at least seven times that he needed this medication to survive.
When Barry appeared in court the morning after his arrest, court transcripts show that he once again requested access to his anti-rejection medication.
"I am on medication," Barry told Judge Gilbert Feltel. "I just had a heart transplant, and I haven't taken my medicine all day since I have been locked up, and I take rejection medicines for my heart so my heart won't reject it, and I'm almost two years out…. And the medicine that I am taking, it's like 30-day prescription that's like $2,400."
"OK. Here's what I will do, Mr. Dexter," replied Feltel. "I am going to simply set a bond in your case of 503 and add the additional condition of no violent victim contact." While Barry was released on November 20, his son and a lawyer for the family say that Barry never received his medication while in jail. By the time he was released, he had missed at least five doses.
Despite resuming his medication, Barry's health declined over the next few days, and he died on November 23, just three days after being released. A pathologist hired by Barry's family reported that his cause of death was his body's rejection of his heart transplant.
Andrew Bonderud, the family's lawyer, speculated that jail officials didn't obtain Barry's medication due to its cost. "Records from jail will likely show they made a note of it," Bonderud told The Tributary. "[The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO)] recognized it's an extremely expensive medication and how disgusting if it turns out that this was a business decision for the JSO, that they would rather not pay for the medication. They would rather risk death over a business decision. It's one of the most outrageous cases I've ever seen in this city of JSO misconduct."
While the pathologist declined to blame Barry's death solely on jail officials' refusal to obtain his necessary medication, it's clear that JSO officers were, at best, reckless with Barry's health—and at worst, contributed to his avoidable death.
"The police officer could've gone inside and got his medication," Barry's son told The Tributary. "This man is telling you, my heart needs those meds. A two-minute walk would've saved his life."
Disgraceful and horrific.
I wonder how that neighbor feels about it now.
Couldn’t they have sent someone to his house to pick up his meds?
Neighbor has to really feel good about reporting a neighbor with a recent heart transplant to police. Would serve him right if his new neighbor is a foot taller, 20 years younger, with a temper and pit bulls.
Why was this guy even in jail? I don’t see anything to warrant it.
Do you think there is even the slightest chance they ;oved him?
>> allegedly threatening to “beat him up”
Doubtful a newly healed transplant recipient would say such a thing with any real intent.
The criminality is the incarceration and denial of medical necessities.
Unfortunately empty cells are financially no different the hotel vacancies especially when it concerns private sector management.
Probably a liability issue.
But here is my question. Obviously he would have this medication at home. Why did no one think, let's send an officer to swing by his house and pick up his pills?
They seem to have absolutely NO troubles sending officers by to search a house for really stupid reasons so why not do it for a smart reason?
This is my problem with bureaucracies, government or otherwise, they are incapable of solving simple problems. Or they are afraid to try to solve them because someone higher on the chain may take offense.
And since solving the problem may result in you getting in trouble but not solving it will mean that you are just another faceless cog in the machine and will be over looked the problem is never solved.
“A lawyer for the family speculates that jail officials balked at the medication’s high price.”
And most of this board will agree with the jail just because if you are arrested then you are obviously guilty and should die for being a sinner.
No due process or presumption of innocence... Accused... Arrested... Then guilty and deserves to die. Law Enforcement can never do wrong.
Now since this is fact in observation is this a compassionate Christian thing or what?
I know I am getting sick of this kind of self righteous compassion... There is shame in this frame of mind...
I don’t know about your God, But my God DOES NOT APPROVE.
Allegedly, the same thing happened to Jim McDougal during his incarceration. He knew too much about Whitewater to be allowed to live.
My brother is a 5 year liver transplant survivor. Without rejection meds which are about 15 pills a day he wouldn’t last a week.
Murder under the color of law.
Don’t get arrested.
Crazy. No physical altercation. Could have been given a citation and a warning, with the police advising both to go apply for a restraining order if they felt it would escalate.
Guy just had a new heart. It’s sort of a metaphor for his vigor... but also a reason not to let silly arguments over wifi escalate.
Good question. Alternatively, why didn't his son give the medication to the jailers so they could give it to their prisoner?
There's a possibility that the prescription had already run out when the arrest happened, and the victim couldn't get it refilled because he was locked up.
Something sounds fishy here.
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