$4M Settlement Reached In Fulton County Inmate’s Death: Report

ATLANTA, GA — Fulton County commissioners unanimously approved a $4 million settlement Wednesday in the death of 35-year-old Lashawn Thompson, who died in the Fulton County Jail last year after being covered in bed bugs, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wednesday.

The AJC reported the county commission went into executive session before publicly voting 6-0 to approve the settlement.

Thompson died in September 2022 after being incarcerated for three months, Attorney Michael Harper, co-counsel for the family, said at an April 20 press conference.

His death was ruled a homicide, and the cause of death was complications due to severe neglect with a contributing cause of untreated decompensated schizophrenia, according to a private autopsy paid for by NFL player and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick on behalf of Thompson’s family.

The autopsy report noted significant conditions were dehydration, malnutrition and severe body insect infestation.

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According to the autopsy, there was also evidence of rapid weight loss, poor grooming and poor living conditions. The report said this combination led to a fatal cardiac arrhythmia.

The Department of Justice launched an investigation in mid-July, leading a probe into the Fulton County Jail after reports of a number of inmate deaths and misconduct by jail staff.

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According to the DOJ, the investigation will look into living conditions at the jail.

Justice officials said the probe will also examine the jail’s ability to protect people from violence and whether Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office discriminate against people diagnosed with psychiatric disabilities inside of the jail.

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section is leading the investigation alongside the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Northern District of Georgia.