Shali Tilson

On March 3, 2018, Shali Tilson, 22, was arrested for disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, during a mental health crisis. He was transported to the Rockdale County Jail.

Although it was clear that Tilson was experiencing a mental health crisis, jail staff did not seek medical help for him, according to a lawsuit filed by his family. Instead, he was held in a padded holding cell, unmedicated, from March 4 to March 12. According to a Special Investigative Grand Jury presentment, this cell had no furniture, bed, access to water or toilet (except for a small grated hole or drain in the floor). The light in the padded cell remained on 24 hours per day. Jail staff did not document the reason for Tilson’s placement in this cell as is required by jail policy, and the Grand Jury could “find no one who can explain what Tilson may have said or done to be placed on suicide watch.”

During Tilson’s incarceration, “deputies neglected their duties, falsified their watch logs, and ignored the obvious signs that Mr. Tilson was in a state of distress,” the lawsuit alleged. On March 12, while Tilson was slumped unconscious against the wall of his cell, jail staff repeatedly signed off on wellness checks that had not actually occurred. He died later that day, of pulmonary thrombi caused by dehydration. He had not received an adequate supply of water for at least three days prior to his death, the lawsuit alleged.

Wellpath declined to comment on the specifics of Tilson’s case, but the company’s Director of External Communications and Reputation Management stated that “Wellpath is unwavering in its commitment to delivering quality, compassionate care to thousands of patients across our partner facilities. We are deeply proud of the impactful work our teams provide to vulnerable, underserved patients in the correctional setting and the consistent evaluation of our processes and procedures to enhance our patients' care.”

Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett did not respond to the Lab’s request for comment.

A full account of the lawsuit—including the estate’s allegations against the Rockdale County sheriff and others, as well as each party’s response—is available through PACER (Case 1:19-cv-01353, Northern District of Georgia).

• IN THE NEWS (Warning: Disturbing Contents)
  • Article One
  • Article Two
• LITIGATION (Warning: Disturbing Contents)
  • Complaint
  • Answer from Rockdale County, GA Sheriff Eric Levett