WALDRON, Ark. — An investigation is underway in Scott County after an inmate in the detention center was hospitalized after attempting to hang himself.
Jesse Stinson was an inmate at Scott County Detention Center in Waldron for almost a month while suffering from drug withdrawals.
Cory Milligan, a lifelong friend and fellow inmate of Stinson's, said he had a severe medical emergency on the last day of his detainment. Stinson was vomiting blood and showing other symptoms of withdrawal. Milligan said Stinson never received the help he needed despite Stinson's plea for medical attention.
Cory Milligan said he and Stinson are like brothers, so he felt heartbroken watching his lifelong friend go through so much pain while they were both incarcerated at the detention center.
"Sorry, I get a little emotional about it. It's mind-blowing how they have treated him," Milligan said.
Milligan told 5NEWS that Stinson was prescribed Suboxone by his doctor, a medication that eases the symptoms of opioid withdrawal.
He said when Stinson arrived at the detention center, his friend was taken off of Suboxone, and instead given the anxiety medication Ativan over three days.
"He was coughing up puddles of blood, and he had sent numerous messages to his stepmother, Amber Stinson, crying out for help asking her to please reach out to 5NEWS or anybody if she had to, just to just to get to a hospital to get help," Milligan said. "And he was completely ignored."
The next thing Stinson's stepmother Amber heard was that Jessie had tried to hang himself and had been taken to Baptist Health Hospital in Little Rock for treatment.
"My friend Jesse is not a suicidal person and never has been," Milligan said. "He's been through a lot in his life. And that's just not him."
Amber said neither she nor any other family members were notified of Jesse's medical emergency.
She said it took multiple calls and showing up to the detention center in person to find out he had been sent to the hospital alone.
"He's tough. He's got a lot of people that's worked hard to get him through this, and he wasn't alone," Amber said. "They might have made him feel that way, but he was not. He's very loved. He's got lots of people that care about him. He should never have to feel that he was alone."
We have reached out to the Scott County Sheriff's Office to learn more about what happened.
They told 5NEWS in a statement on Dec. 26, "The health and safety of the people who are detained in our facility is something we take very seriously. Whenever any significant incident occurs in our facility, a review is conducted to ensure all applicable policies and procedures, as well as the law, have been followed. That has already begun, and is ongoing."
According to an updated statement provided by Chief Deputy Billy Carnahan on Dec. 27, jailers escorted Stinson to the bathroom area for a shower. The statement said the jailers checked on Stinson 6 minutes later and found that he had hung himself with his pants. Upon the discovery, the statement said they took lifesaving first aid and called EMS to transfer him to a medical facility.
On Dec. 27, 5NEWS followed up with Jesse’s stepmother who said she got to see him and reports he is now “off the ventilator,” but can barely move and still has a long way to go in his recovery.
Amber says he was surprised to know he was on 5NEWS.
When asked if Jesse would be returning to jail after he was stable, she said they haven’t gotten that far and doesn’t know yet.
Stay with 5NEWS for updates on this developing story.
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