CRAWFORD COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — A lawsuit has been filed against Crawford County and at least eight Crawford County Detention Center employees after a man in custody was reportedly ignored while dying of an overdose in October 2022.
The lawsuit alleges that after “exhibiting clear symptoms of lethal overdose” for hours at the Crawford County Jail, Jacob Allen Jones, 26, “was found face down with a faint pulse, and medical personnel were called for three separate times, [but] there was no response.”
Jones was later transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The day before he died, Jones and his uncle were arrested by the Van Buren Police Department (VBPD) after a traffic stop and were brought to the Crawford County jail.
In footage released by the Crawford County Sheriff's Department (CCSD), while being arrested, Jones and his uncle are both seen getting something out of their back pockets and then leaning forward. Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante says they were ingesting bags of drugs.
Sheriff Damante says Jones was taken to a local hospital with “a slight pulse,” but Jones's mother Catherine told 5NEWS in 2022 she did not understand why he did not receive medical attention fast enough.
Catherine Jones said in 2022, “I have no idea, I just know he asked for help … [Jacob's uncle] asked for help, several other inmates asked for help, and nobody would help him for over five hours."
Adam Rose, an attorney representing the Jones family stated "When you're a ward of the state, the state is responsible for you ... This is sadly not the first time something like this has happened, and it probably won't be the last."
Catherine Jones said, “They were supposed to protect him, he was supposed to be safe, and they let him die,” and that she wants to see that “The [deputies] that wouldn't help him are punished … I want them to pay attention to them in the back.”
Cruiser footage released by Crawford County Sheriff's Office:
Sheriff Damante said in a statement, “In the interest of transparency, I'm releasing the footage from the cruiser camera to the media and the public.” Damante also said after speaking with the medical examiner that “The bag he swallowed broke open and the cause of death was a drug overdose.”
The Sheriff also said if any Crawford County employees “violated our administrative policies, I won't hesitate to hold them accountable,” but no deputies have been placed on leave following the death of Jones.
5NEWS will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
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