DUBLIN — Eleven Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies and medical staffers at the Santa Rita Jail have been charged with felonies in connection with the death of a man who was allegedly neglected for days before he succumbed, court records show.
The victim, Maurice Monk, died after spending days in obvious medical distress in his cell, where he was facing a misdemeanor charge with a $2,500 bail. A wrongful death lawsuit filed against the county alleges that deputies coldly dropped pills and plates into his cell without bothering to check if he was ok, as he lay face down, unresponsive on his bed.
The defendants have been identified in court records as Neal Edwards, Donall Rowe, Thomas Mowrer, Ross Burruel, Robinderpal Hayer, Andre Gaston, Troy White, Syear Osmani, Mateusz Laszuk, Christopher Haendel, and David Donoho. They have not yet entered pleas.
Edwards is an Alameda County Forensic Behavior Health worker, and Donoho worked for Wellpath, a for-profit healthcare company that specializes in jail and prison inmates across the United States. The remainder of the defendants are current and former deputies.
The charges — much like the Alameda County District Attorney’s office — face an uncertain future. DA Pamela Price appears on the verge of a successful recall effort, and if the election is certified, it is unknown who will replace her. Last week, Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez acknowledged “mistakes” were made in Monk’s death but condemned the decision to file criminal charges.
Osmani, White, and Hayer have all been charged with one felony count of falsifying documents. Everyone else has been charged with a felony count of elder or dependent abuse, records show.
Monk died on Nov. 15, 2021, his body found face-down in his cell next to a puddle of urine and some uneaten food, the wrongful death lawsuit says. His death became a flashpoint among activists seeking improved conditions in the jail, which now operates under a consent decree aimed at improving mental health care and conditions for inmates after several drug overdoses, suicides and killings.
The lawsuit over Monk’s death resulted in a $7 million payout to his family, through a settlement.
At the time, Monk was facing a misdemeanor charge of threatening a bus driver who asked him to wear a COVID-19-style mask on a bus. As he lay dying in his cell, another inmate who was helping deputies distribute food allegedly asked, “Are we just waiting for him to kick the bucket?”
Messages left with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, WellPath and the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of Alameda County were not immediately returned.
The charges were “a long time coming,” said Adante Pointer, the attorney for Monk’s family. And he specifically hailed Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price – who appears on the path to being recalled after last week’s election – for taking action just days before the statute of limitations expired on the case.
“The family is elated to know that the people involved in the death of Maurice Monk are going to have a chance of being held accountable for the tragedy that they contributed to,” …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
