Lawyer Sues Midland Jail After Inmate Dies In Custody

MIDLAND, TX -- A lawyer for an inmate held at the Midland County Detention Center is filing a federal lawsuit claiming his client died as a result of negligence from jail staff.

According to the attorney, Dean Malone, the situation began in June of 2019 when Savion Hill was arrested on the 21st of the month and transported to jail.

According to the intake paperwork, the jail learned Hill had a "serious injury/hospitalization in the last 90 days." According to the form, the event occurred a day before the arrest and the inmate had been prescribed medication. Hill suffered from asthma and shortness of breath.

During the days he spent at the detention center, Hill needed breathing treatments as he had significant physical difficulties.  According to Malone, an investigation completed by the Texas Rangers showed that jail staff had falsified records regarding the care the inmate received.

One of the examples provided by Malone, states that staff recorded certain oxygen saturation levels before a breathing treatment that appear to increase after the treatment is completed, at least on paper. After reviewing video surveillance, state investigators determined that the staff didn't use a pulse oximeter to measure the levels. This is the most common way that oxygen percentages are measured in a medical setting.

Additional records also indicated that Hill underwent bronchial breath sounds assessments. These are typically conducted with the use of a stethoscope.

Jail records appeared to indicate that even though Hill exhibited "wheezing" before the treatment, they were "improved" at the end.

Video evidence once again showed the tests were never completed. Hill would ultimately leave the jail in an ambulance and die at a local hospital.

Malone officially filed a federal lawsuit on June 16th on behalf of the Hill family claiming the jail violated Savion Hill's constitutional rights to reasonable medical care, to be protected, and not to be punished as a pre-trial detainee. 

"Our law firm is unfortunately involved in a number of jail death cases across Texas. I have therefore seen people in Texas jails treated inhumanely, and have also seen suicidal inmates left to their own devices. The situation involving Savion is shocking by comparison to many other cases we have handled," said Malone in a statement. "It is beyond belief that anyone would write into medical records that a person with significant breathing issues was improving during breathing treatments when no assessments were actually made. One wonders whether the falsified records would have ever been discovered if Savion had not died. Those at fault for Savion’s suffering must be held accountable.”