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| Family Member Sues N.C. Sheriff, Jail Chief in Inmate's Death |
| By Asheville Citizen Times |
| Published: 10/28/2002 |
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A lawsuit alleges Cherokee County, N.C., Sheriff Alan Kilpatrick and Jail Administrator Judy Mason are responsible for the 'unnecessary, slow and agonizing death' of a 26-year- old diabetic inmate. Sylva lawyer Mark Melrose, the attorney for the estate of Christopher Lee Wood, filed the lawsuit despite the fact that Wood's death is still under investigation. Wood died Sept. 5, hours after his mother and father began pleading with 911 dispatchers to send an ambulance for their son, who they and other inmates said was violently ill. Records and interviews show he had been off his diabetes medication for two days and was sick at least 24 hours before his death. Wood's parents began pleading with 911 operators at 2:47 p.m. Mason, the jail administrator, called for an ambulance at 5:34 p.m. When emergency medical services workers arrived from across the street, they found Wood had no pulse. The lawsuit asks that a jury hear the arguments. A jury ultimately would set the amount for any damage award. If Kilpatrick and Mason are found responsible for Wood's death, the county's insurance company - also a defendant in the lawsuit - would pay the award. The county has a policy that covers up to $2 million. The lawsuit alleges that Kilpatrick and Mason knew or should have known that Wood was a diabetic and that Mason 'failed to procure any medical treatment for Christopher Lee Wood.' The lawsuit also alleges that Kilpatrick and his jailers 'failed to consult with any knowledgeable medical professional' about Wood's condition and that Mason 'failed to observe and monitor the health condition . of Christopher Lee Wood, as required by law.' |
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