Allen Daniel Hicks Sr., 51, was found stopped in his car on the side of Interstate 275 by a sheriff’s deputy and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper the morning of May 11, 2012. Passers-by had called 911 after they saw Hicks’ Chevy Cavalier swerving west into a guardrail, records of the incident show.
Speaking incoherently and unable to move his left arm, Hicks was arrested on a charge of obstructing a law enforcement officer when he did not respond to commands to exit his car. Just after noon, he was booked into the Orient Road Jail.
Hicks did not receive a medical screening, but was put in a cell where he lay facedown on the floor or tried to crawl using the one working side of his body. On the night of May 12, soaked in his own urine, his brain choked of blood, he was at last taken to Tampa General Hospital and diagnosed with an ischemic stroke. He slipped into a coma and died within three months.
Apparently paramedics did examine Hicks at the scene, but did not identify any physical problems, although they did recommend he be taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation. He was instead taken to jail. The two paramedics “were verbally counseled on how to better handle similar incidents in the future.”
Apparently everyone at the scene assumed that “drunk/drugged and crazy” was the best available explanation for why a middle-aged man crashed his car, was confused, had slurred speech, and was completely weak on one side of his body, and the possibility that he had a stroke wasn’t even considered. (Honestly, I feel a little bit of sympathy for the cops at the scene, who may have felt that they had to defer to the paramedics on a medical call. Which doesn’t excuse all the other cops at the jail, let alone the nurses at the jail.)
Hicks’ family sued and won a million-dollar settlement, mostly from the company that employes the jail’s medical personnel, on the condition that they never speak publicly about the case. (A separate lawsuit is going on against the paramedic company.) However, “the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office did not formally discipline any of its employees.”
Is anyone surprised to hear that Hicks was Black?
Meh. So he was black. I was involved in street demonstrations when a Italian kid who got “tuned up” in the back of a paddy wagon and was then tossed into a cell was found dead the next morning in his cell. As you say, the cops at the scene would defer to the paramedics, but the mentality of th erest was probably along the lines of “He’s in jail, he must be an asshole.”
I’m not surprised he was black. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was white, either. I think behavior like that is more likely to happen to you if you ain’t white, but it’s also more likely to happen to you if you’re identified as visibly disabled or poor. I lost count long ago of the horrid shit people (and medics) have done/failed to do cuz I’m disabled – and I’m about as white as they come.
Now, if he was white, dressed in a 3 piece suit and driving a nice car, yeah, I’d be surprised. I’d be surprised for about 3 seconds until I slotted the medics into the “they think he’s crazy” box and whoops, might as well go pick out funeral flowers. Because they don’t care about you if they think you might be mentally ill, either.
I’ve had tia’s in the past. Quite a few, though good luck getting the docs to believe ya. Managed to mostly get rid of most of the habits that brought ’em on, not counting my weight issues. And if I can ever afford a stationary bike, I’ll be working on those, too. And I hope to hell I never have a full stroke because I’d be fucked.
A lot of African-Americans feel like black life isn’t worth much to society at large, because it isn’t.
Black woman dies in jail after police remove her from an ER where she was refused treatment.
Black woman dies in the waiting room of an ER after being ignored for an hour after collapsing.
And I agree, often perceived class plays a role here as well. But race and class are highly correlated in the US, and when you’re at the nexus of both race and class bias, you’re in double jeopardy.
@Elusis,
And I agree, often perceived class plays a role here as well. But race and class are highly correlated in the US, and when you’re at the nexus of both race and class bias, you’re in double jeopardy.
Don’t forget class and disability! Mainly because I’m tired of everyone forgetting class and disability. Those are also highly correlated but I never hear a peep about ’em unless it’s disabled folks that’re writing.
Certainly not highjacking this post about it as this one is focused on race and (perceived) disability. I’d lay SSI that I don’t have that it intersected in this one.
Honestly, given this fact pattern I would say “drunk and concussed” was the most likely culprit (obviously in this case it wasn’t — I just mean the playing the odds ex ante). But I don’t see why it matters — if someone is obviously injured after a car accident and there’s no immediate risk to public health, take him to the hospital first and get him checked out. Prison will be there when the exam is over.
Not surprised, in fact I was waiting for it. Really messed up. Meanwhile, the intersection of race, class and disability is so fraught words fail me.