A federal civil rights lawsuit says the death of a Black teenager at a Kansas juvenile detention center was foreshadowed by a 2016 state inspection of the facility that noted systemic deficiencies in its handling of children with mental health issues
to the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, where he had to be resuscitated after he was held facedown for more than 30 minutes during an altercation. He died two days later.
The Associated Press sent emails seeking comment Monday to the county and Wichita police. Sedgwick County's Corrections Director Glenda Martens has described what happened as “tragic” but said that the corrections workers followed policy in restraining the teen. Wichita police have said they've been looking into the actions officers took when booking the teen.
The lawsuit contends that Lofton's death was “presaged" by that KDOC inspection. The inspection report, a copy of which The Associated Press reviewed, noted systemic deficiencies at the juvenile facility, including its inability to handle children with mental health issues, its need for training on de-escalation techniques and management of risk.
The lawsuit alleges that when confronted by questioning during intake at the facility about whether Lofton required medical treatment, Wichitatheir response on a form and swore that he needed no such treatment. An intake official witnessed the police officer change his response on the form when the officer learned that would trigger an obligation to transport the teen for treatment.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Gordon Parks' photography masterfully captured the range of Black life in AmericaOne of the country's most celebrated photographers, Gordon Parks used his camera as a weapon against racial injustice. Howard University has recently acquired more than 250 of Parks' images.
Read more »
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Fans React To Shuri's New LookBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever fans got their first look at Shuri in the sequel. Some Sprite [...]
Read more »
Why Black Women Are Giving Weaves A Second Chance'Unlike their predecessors, [the] new generation of weave techniques has evolved like many other products designed for Black hair, which has been crucial in minimizing damage with this style.'
Read more »
Dwayne Johnson Reacts To Fans’ Incredible Black Adam Trailer ResponseDwayne Johnson thanks fans for their incredible response to the recent BlackAdam trailer, which he says earned a '98% positive global review.'
Read more »
'Obi-Wan Kenobi': Hasbro Unveils Black Series Figures of Ben, Vader and RevaHasbro has released a look at the 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Black Series figures, which are available for pre-order now.
Read more »
Judge sides with Home Depot after company prevented employees from wearing Black Lives Matter imageryAn agency judge has ruled that Home Depot did not interfere with workers rights by preventing them from wearing Black Lives Matter patches on their uniforms.
Read more »