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| Georgia Sheriff Defends Care Inmate Received Before Death |
| By The Gainesville Times |
| Published: 01/03/2003 |
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Hall County Sheriff Steve Cronic called a press conference Wednesday to set the record straight about the death of an inmate Monday night at the Hall County Detention Center. James Daniel Coley, 33, went into respiratory arrest at the jail Monday and was pronounced dead at 6:03 p.m. at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. 'Autopsy results may take a few weeks, but we were told the death was related to his heart problem,' said Maj. Tony Carter, Sheriff's Services commander. Coley, who lived near Oakwood, underwent heart-valve replacement surgery last year. Family members, including his sister Tammy Harkins of Hoschton, said Tuesday they believe Coley wasn't given proper care while he was in jail. Cronic disputes that claim. 'Some inaccurate information was put out by a couple of Atlanta television stations yesterday,' he said. 'There were reports alleging that Coley had received no medical attention at all. So we wanted to clarify some things.' Coley had been arrested in Jackson County on felony charges issued in Hall County, including two counts of forgery and a parole violation. Hall deputies picked him up in Jackson on Nov. 22. 'He was given the initial health questionnaire, on which he indicated that he had had heart surgery and had a history of blackouts,' said Cronic. 'But he was not on any medication at that time.' On Dec. 2, Coley signed up for 'sick call,' a request to be seen by a doctor. Linwood Zoller, the physician who contracts with Hall County to provide care at the jail, examined Coley and prescribed daily aspirin, a blood thinner to benefit his heart. On Dec. 4, Coley pleaded guilty to the charges against him. He was to serve two years of his six-year sentence in a state prison. But because no state facilities had space available, he remained at the Hall jail awaiting transfer. On Dec. 9, Coley put in another sick call and was seen by Zoller. 'He showed symptoms consistent with a stomach virus that was going around the detention center at that time,' said Cronic. 'He also reported some numbness and weakness on his right side.' Coley was given Phenergan, an anti-nausea medicine. On Dec. 13, he was seen by the staff nurse, complaining of the same symptoms. He was again given Phenergan, as well as Tylenol. 'Throughout the weekend, we had no reports from the inmate that he was ill,' said Carter. 'Then on Monday, guards indicated that he still had symptoms, and he was put on sick call for Tuesday. 'Later on Monday, the guards were notified that the inmate had stopped breathing. They immediately called for an ambulance and administered CPR.' Cronic said he did not know if Coley underwent any medical tests to see if something other than a stomach virus might be causing his illness. 'The GBI is conducting an outside investigation, and internal affairs is also doing its own investigation to make sure procedures are followed,' he said. 'We take our responsibility seriously, and we want to make sure everything was done properly.' Coley's mother, Aloma O'Neal of Clermont, said it was too early to contemplate legal action. 'We're so devastated right now that we're not thinking that far ahead,' she said. |
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