A Walker County, Alabama man, Anthony "Tony" Mitchell, 33, was allegedly deprived of his constitutional rights and left to die in a jail's walk-in freezer "or similar frigid environment," the victim's mother has argued in a federal lawsuit against the jail's authorities.
"This is one of the most appalling cases of jail abuse the country has seen," part of the 37-page federal lawsuit read, according to The Hill. "On the night of January 25 to January 26, 2023, Anthony Don Mitchell ('Tony') froze to death while incarcerated at the Walker County Jail."
The case, the family's lawyers write, "raises an appalling question: how does a man literally freeze to death while incarcerated in a modern, climate-controlled jail, in the custody and care of corrections officers?"
"Likely," the suit alleges, Mitchell was "placed in a restraint chair in the jail kitchen's walk-in freezer or similar frigid environment and left there for hours."
Jon Goldfarb, a lawyer representing Mitchell's family, said that a correctional officer, who the sheriff's department later fired, shed new light on the case after sharing a video recording of what happened.
In the leaked surveillance video of the jail's loading bay, a stiff-looking Mitchell was seen being carried into a squad car by four officers.
The video contradicts earlier statements from the Walker County Sheriff's Office that Mitchell was "alert and conscious" when leaving the jail for transport to the hospital.
As per the recently filed legal complaint, Mitchell's medical records contain quotes from notes written by an emergency room physician who attended to him on the day of his demise.
"I am not sure," the doctor writes, "what circumstances the patient was held in incarceration but it is difficult to understand a rectal temperature of 72° F 22° centigrade while someone is incarcerated in jail. The cause of his hypothermia is not clear. It is possible he had an underlying medical condition resulting in hypothermia. I do not know if he could have been exposed to a cold environment. I do believe that hypothermia was the ultimate cause of his death."
A statement from Walker County Sheriff's Office read as follows:
"On Thursday, January 27th, an inmate in the Walker County Jail was provided a routine medical check by jail medical staff. Medical staff determined the inmate needed to be transported to the hospital for further evaluation. The inmate was alert and conscious when he left the facility and arrived at the hospital. Shortly after arrival at the hospital, the inmate suffered a medical emergency and became unresponsive. Life saving efforts were performed by hospital staff and the inmate was ultimately revived. Unfortunately, a short time later, the inmate passed away."
On Jan. 13, family members asked police to check on Mitchell. When law enforcement arrived, Mitchell allegedly fired a shot at deputies before fleeing into a wooded area. Following a search, Mitchell was arrested and charged with attempted murder.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.