PITTSBURGH — A deceased inmate's mother is suing the Jefferson County Jail and county officials -- municipal entities, authorities and staff -- citing alleged denial of adequate medical care; inadequate training or supervision; and screening, negligence and wrongful death.
Wilene P. Aiken filed a complaint on Jan. 24, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against the defendants alleging that they deprived David E. Aiken of the constitutional right to adequate medical care while under their supervision.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that, on July 21, 2017, David E. Aiken, passed away from heat exhaustion.
Prior to the unfortunate incident, he was provided with a position at Humphrey Charcoal under the Jefferson County/Jefferson County Jail’s work release program. He was not provided with transportation to or from work and needed to walk six miles, the suit claims.
On the day he died, an employee at Humphrey Charcoal contacted Jefferson County Jail to inquire about David’s transportation back to his residence, the suit says. The employee at the jail replied, “Make him walk,” or words to that effect, the suit claims.
Furthermore, two other work release employees ran ahead to alert someone at the Jefferson County Jail of his condition, the suit says. By the time Jefferson County Jail staff responded to David's situation, he was dead or within minutes from death, the suit claims.
The plaintiff seeks a declaratory judgment stating the defendants violated David’s rights, award compensatory and punitive damages, fees and costs and any other relief this court deems just and proper. She is represented by John E. Quinn and Tyler S. Setcavage of Quinn Logue LLC in Pittsburgh.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania Case number 2:19-cv-00081-CB