Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and former 49er Colin Kapernick are among those seeking justice for Lashawn Thompson
By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Writer
Relatives of a Georgia man found dead in a filthy jail cell covered in insect bites will receive $4 million from Fulton County and “unidentified entities.”
In August, officials voted unanimously to approve the settlement. Lashawn Thompson, 35, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Fulton County Jail on September 13, 2022. Due to several mental health issues, Thompson was housed in the prison’s psychiatric ward for three months. He was charged with simple assault against police officers.
Photos of Thompson covered in insect bites and images of his filthy cell went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage and sparking the hashtag #Justice4Lashawn.
“It’s enough that the bed bugs and lice sat there and ate my brother to death, but it’s the neglect that hurts me the most,” Thompson’s brother Brad McCray said during a news conference.
The family’s legal team includes nationally known civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Crump has represented several Black families across the country whose loved ones have died following interactions with law enforcement. On site, he represented the relatives of Stephon Clark, the 22-year-old father who was shot and killed by Sacramento police officers on March 18, 2018, when they mistook his cell phone for a gun.
Like Crump in Clark’s death, he called for an independent autopsy in Thompson’s case. While Fulton County officials determined the cause of death was “undetermined,” the second autopsy listed the man’s death as the result of “severe neglect.” The independent review was funded by former NFL quarterback and social activist Colin Kaepernick and his Autopsy Initiative, part of his Know Your Rights Camp project. The initiative provides a second, free autopsy for the families of victims who have lost loved ones in a police-involved death.
Crump and the Thompson family are also demanding accountability. Crump and his Georgia counterpart, Michael D. Harper, issued a joint statement.
“While we are pleased to have reached a settlement with Fulton County and unidentified companies for undisclosed amounts in these matters, we are far from the end of this journey to full justice.” We remain with the Thompson family – and the community , who stood behind them – working together to ensure that a tragedy like this never happens to another family or claims another life. Lashawn’s life mattered, and together we can demand and motivate meaningful change in his name. That will be the legacy of Lashawn Thompson.”
Editor’s note: In the coming weeks, “Inside Out” will highlight the experiences of formerly incarcerated individuals and their families, address efforts to improve local jail and prison facilities, and share the perspectives of Black correctional officers and advocates working for change from within, and activists who have dedicated their lives to shining a light on the injustices of the criminal justice system.
