Abdul Kamara, a Sierra Leone native, died in custody after being restrained by San Diego County sheriff's deputies at the Vista Detention Facility. A new lawsuit filed by his family alleges negligence and wrongful death, claiming Kamara should never have been taken to jail or denied medical attention.
A new lawsuit filed by the family of Abdul Kamara alleges negligence and wrongful death following his death in custody at the Vista Detention Facility in San Diego County. Kamara, a Sierra Leone native who had sought refuge in the United States after escaping a brutal civil war and a dangerous refugee camp, died last year after being restrained by several law enforcement officials.
The lawsuit claims that Kamara should never have been taken to jail, physically restrained, or denied immediate medical attention. According to the complaint, Kamara had escaped from Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas an hour before his arrest. Hospital officials had reported his departure to law enforcement and requested his return for treatment. Kamara was found writhing on the ground at a gas station a mile away, but instead of returning him to the hospital, deputies drove him to Vista and began the booking process. During the booking process, Kamara was pinned down by deputies and a California Highway Patrol officer and placed in a WRAP restraint device. The lawsuit alleges that despite the presence of nurses and doctors at the Vista Detention Facility, no deputies requested a medical assessment or evaluation of Kamara. He remained in the WRAP restraint for several hours before succumbing to a medical emergency. The complaint further points to a pattern of negligence and lack of accountability within the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, citing prior jail deaths and serious injuries. It also alleges that deputies routinely arrest individuals experiencing mental health crises instead of seeking appropriate medical intervention. The lawsuit highlights a culture of impunity within the department, accusing officials of withholding crucial information from survivors and their legal representatives.
NEGLIGENCE WRONGFUL DEATH POLICE BRUTALITY SAN DIEGO COUNTY SHERIFF's DEPARTMENT WRAP RESTRAINT MEDICAL EMERGENCY MENTAL HEALTH CIVIL RIGHTS
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