Silke Jasso
The family of 37-year-old Army veteran Elliot Williams who, while in police custody at the Tulsa County Jail for a misdemeanor obstruction complaint in 2011, suffered a broken neck and died slowly and painfully on surveillance camera because, authorities said, they believed he was faking his injuries.
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A jury awarded Williams’ family $10.2 million for damages, $250,000 of which is to be paid by Stanley Glanz, formerly the Tulsa County sheriff.
According to Fox 23, the sum of money is going to be paid out by raising property taxes of citizens.
Although medical experts say Williams had broken his neck, he was treated as if he was faking his injuries, despite spending day after day on his back in severe pain. Ultimately, he died of complications from the broken neck and dehydration.
Attorney for Williams’ estate Dan Smolen told KRMG he’d never seen anything like this case.
“It’s the only case that I’m aware of, not just here locally in Tulsa but really nationally, dealing with people held in a detention setting where the records depict one thing happening, but the reality of what’s truly happening is caught on film over such an extended period of time,” he said.
“This guy went almost six days and never got taken to the hospital with a broken neck,” Smolen would tell The Daily Beast. “They’re throwing food at him and making fun of him in the cell while he’s going through a horrific death. You wouldn’t do that to an animal or any living thing.”
We know that Williams “would not stand up [in a shower]” but was given one anyway, even as an officer observed him face down screaming “Help me!” Williams’ father also tried to call his son while he was in jail and was told he could not visit “because of Elliott’s condition.” Officials said, “He’s acting like he’s paralyzed, but we know he’s not.”
Smolen said that what was recorded in jail records — that Williams was fed and attended to — is completely contradicted by the surveillance footage.
Be warned, it is a graphic contradiction.
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The video showed, among other atrocities, food and water being left just out of Williams’ reach, as it was assumed he was faking paralysis caused by a neck injury. How that neck injury occurred is still uncertain.
Much of the critical testimony came from a former employee of the sheriff’s office, Billy McKelvey.
He said that Williams received “something” in the form of medical attention “but he didn’t receive much,” KTUL reported. He said that Williams didn’t receive any medical treatment for the first 10.5 hours he was at the jail and that at least 13 people knew he had complained about his neck.
McKelvey also said that no one called 911 until Williams was already dead.
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The plaintiff had asked for 1 million dollars for every hour that Williams suffered on the floor of the jail. As a result, the total compensation sought was $51 million.
But a jury awarded Williams’ family $10 million.
